Rhapsody in Red
by Objective Mistress
Summary: Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU
1. Chapter 1

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter word count:** ~1800

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

**Author Note:** This is a Noir AU. There's no bending, but plenty of bad-assery. It's one heck of a ride if I do say so myself. So buckle up!

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**Chapter 1 – "Come Fly With Me"**

"_Come on fly with me, let's take off in the blue"_

"Sit down, I'll be right back." Chief Beifong's tone of voice was even more unreadable than usual.

Mako dropped heavily into the metal seat provided. Getting called into the boss' office right after dropping your coat and hat after a bit of fieldwork was never a good sign. He pulled out the scratched and worn lighter from his pocket, lighting and extinguishing the small flame at his leisure before stashing it away again as he heard the door behind him creak open.

"What do you have your plate currently as far as cases go?" Beifong dropped a rather large file to her desk without explanation

"Finishing up the case of that badger game turned murder," he watched the Chief took a seat opposite of him. "He got sent to the big house today, just need to finish up the paper work."

"Well then, I have a new project for you."

He moved to grab the large case file, only to be startled by a slam of the older woman's hand, right smack on the center of the imposing stack of paper. It took all his will power to not flinch away. Chief Beifong was one of the most decorated, respectable, and clean cops in the city. It was some miracle that she got the top position, usually reserved for ass kissing political appointees.

"Do you have any idea what this file is?" She leveled a steely look in his direction.

"Should I?"

"It's the Red Killer file."

Mako's stomach dropped. He should have recognized the distinctive sealing tape on the outside. When he was just hired as a lowly beat cop he found the file. His gut had always told him that his parents were on the list of victims, and an unwarranted snoop through the file only confirmed his suspicions. When discovered, he was lucky to get off with a slap on the hand and extra shifts instead of a suspension for looking around where he shouldn't have been.

"I'm guessing you heard about Detective Ming's…incident?"

He nodded. The guy had been the previous lead on the case, and a damn good, and clean detective. He connected dots from the Red Killer's twenty-something year history that no one else had noticed. The case was so close the breakthrough that would catch the guy. Then, mysteriously, he ends up with two broken arms after a night out on the town that he couldn't remember.

"Yeah…yeah I did."

"So you know why it needs new leadership." Beifong's sharp gaze was unwavering. "I need a solid set of cops to clean up and finish the job. Not only solid, I need cops that are willing to go in different directions. This case has run experienced cops all over the city in circles." She looked him straight in the eye, "Are you the guy for this job?"

"Yes," he said confidently.

How many times had he dreamed (or had they been nightmares?) about getting a chance to catch his parents' killers? How many times had he thought of the satisfaction of sitting across from the scumbag as he took the stand, unable to defend his crimes?

"Alright then," the Chief slid the file across the desk to him. "You're getting a new partner for this case."

"Can I get my pick from homicide?"

Mako had a few officers in mind. Detective Shi was solid in casework, but had an outsider's streak that he thought would be useful if Beifong was looking for a new approach.

"No, I've picked one out. Not from homicide."

Mako narrowed his eyes, "What? Did you pull someone right out of the academy?"

"No." Beifong was unreadable. "You'll be working with Detective Korra."

"And she is?"

"She's a detective in the Vice Department."

"You can't be serious."

Vice detectives were always the latest into the station each morning. They wore the flashiest, nicest, most fashionable clothing around the station. They pulled the biggest salaries and were always at the biggest social events. They were the only department that could get away with dinner with the folks they investigated. Mako couldn't help but eye them with disdain as they walked through, egos swelled.

Republic City had a corruption problem. Dirty money and people could be found in every crack of the city governmental system. With prohibition ending, the gangs were struggling to find a new niche. Many of them turned to drugs, prostitution, and racketeering to keep the cash flowing.

Then there was the Vice Department. Their job was to root out all that filth. Instead, most ended up rolling in it and working with dirty hands.

"I'm dead serious and that's how it's going to work."

"You're expecting me to solve a high profile murder with a dirty cop?" He was utterly exasperated.

"First of all, watch your tone, Detective. You know I don't take any shit." The reminder of his title next to hers made him lean back in his chair. "Second of all, she's not dirty. You remember the Sato case?"

Mako thought for a moment. "Yeah. Big industry guy busted for using his warehouses as a drug front."

"Well Detective Korra ran that."

He nodded once, not wanting to anger Beifong any further. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Now, get out and get to work."

"Where is she?"

"Check the gym downstairs."

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The gym in the basement was pretty much as far from state of the art as it could get, but it worked. Filled with plenty of mats, punching bags, and a decent selection of weights, it was perfect for the cop who needed to let some stress go. Of course, being the afternoon, most officers were still sipping at coffee, trying to ward off midday bleariness to dig their way out of the trench of pointless paper they were buried in.

Mako peered through the gym door windows, covered in fingerprints and unidentifiable grime. It was empty save one.

She was wearing a loose fitting cropped top, and going to town on a defenseless punching bag. He could only see her from the back, but she was shorter than he imagined. She had dark skin that glistened from her workout, her hair pulled back into a long ponytail. Even from outside he could tell she was strong. The suspended punching bag lurched from every strong hit of her well timed fists.

"Hey, are you Detective Korra?"

She dropped her wrapped fists to the side. "It depends, who's asking?"

"I'm Detective Mako."

She turned around, hands on her hips. The woman had piercing blue eyes and a young looking face. He couldn't help but notice that she was good looking with striking exotic features.

"Well aren't you a cool guy?" Korra walked over and stuck a hand out. "Nice to meet ya."

He shook her hand. "So we've been assigned to work together on the Red Killer case."

"Yeah, we have."

"Have you even worked a homicide case before?" His words came out a bit more spiteful than he intended.

She squinted at him, "Does it matter? I was assigned to this just like you because I get the job done."

"It's a whole different ball game!"

"Jeez I've had plenty of other solved cases I'm sure you can read up on in the Republic City Dispatch. Besides, plenty of vice cases end in death too. Homicide doesn't have a monopoly on death or anything," she started to unwrap her hands. "What does it take to impress you?"

Mako crossed his arms. This partnership was off to quite a start. He could tell already that she was stubborn, headstrong, and a pain in the ass.

"It takes solid casework to impress me," he stepped a bit closer to her. "You can start by reading the case file."

"I already did." She smirked.

"You're lying-"

"Right, because I care _that_ much impressing a guy I just met."

Mako took a deep breath. She was utterly infuriating. "Okay, well where do you want to start?"

"It's Friday," Korra pulled her jacket on from the hanger by the door.

"So?" 

"Fridays we go out."

"Let me guess," he rolled his eyes, "vice detective thing."

"Usually," she smirked. "You in, Cool Guy?"

"I don't think so."

"You're missing out then," Korra winked at him and walked out. "I'll see you on Monday."

He would be lying if he didn't admit to his eyes following her ass until she was fully out of the door.

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"Well you're in late," Mako looked up from the file. He scoured the many pages of the packet, looking for anything extra he could work off of.

"Yeah, well it's Friday!" Bolin smiled, rummaging through the drawer in the hallway. He pulled out a few foil wrapped condoms that he slipped into his jacket pocket. "And I had a great day in the ring today so I deserved it. And hoping for a great night too if you know what I mean."

His brother was a professional boxer by day, semi-professional womanizer by night.

"Great," the detective buried himself in the file again.

"Hey, so I'm going back out, you're welcome to join me if you want to loosen up," he laughed.

"_Back_ out?" Mako didn't always get why his brother loved the party scene so much.

"There's a hot girl outside waiting for me," Bolin whispered loudly.

"You know I can hear you talking about me," the girl poked her head it.

Goddammit, it was Detective Korra.

"Oh, Mako," she smirked, hiding her surprise. "Told you that you were missing a great night."

"You know him?"

"A bit. We-" Korra didn't know exactly how to explain.

"Well…don't wait up!" Bolin didn't even wait for her reply.

Clearly he wasn't thinking with his head.

Mako couldn't help but dread Monday at the station just a bit more.

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**Author Note:** One chapter down. Bunch more to go. Love to hear your feedback, and as always passing it along is appreciated with hugs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter word count:** ~1600

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

**Author Note:** This chapter has some plot building so we can get to the meat!

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**Chapter 2 – "Street of Dreams"**

"_Love laughs at a king, kings don't mean a thing on the street of dreams  
Dreams broken in two can be made like new on the street of dreams"_

"You got a light?" Korra pulled a cigarette out and held it deftly between two fingers.

"Of course," he pulled out his worn lighter and flicked the flame ablaze.

She held out an unlit smoke, "Want one?" The lit cigarette dangled from the corner of her mouth.

"I don't smoke. People are starting to say it's bad for you."

"Since when are 'people' a reputable source for anything but gossip?" She took a long drag, expelling the smoke into the already polluted air of the police meeting room. "So you don't smoke, but you carry a lighter around?"

"Habit," he shrugged.

The lighter had been his father's. Other than the red scarf he had, it was all he had left of his parents as far as mementos went. Even the memories were foggy; after all he was only eight years old when the two were cut down in front of him.

"Just looking to add a few more pieces to the mystery that is Detective Mako."

"Great." He didn't even bother to look in her direction.

"Look, are you going to keep being cold to me, or are we going to work as a team and get this done?"

Instead of responding he busied himself looking at the brown sludge that passed for coffee in his mug that was now lukewarm.

"This isn't about your brother is it?"

"You slept with my brother!" Mako hissed.

"I didn't sleep with your brother," she crossed her arms.

"I saw him slip a handful of condoms into his pocket," he glared at her, not sure if he could believe his new partner.

"That doesn't mean he got to use any, with me at least." Korra leaned over the table towards him. "And even if we did, your brother is a big boy, and I'm pretty sure he can handle himself."

"How did you even meet him?" he narrowed his eyes. He could only wonder what Bolin got into when he wasn't around; a Vice detective showing up was hopefully only a coincidence.

"I was at a bar with some of the guys and ran into him. He seemed fun."

"I just don't want my brother getting hurt okay?" His shoulders sagged in defeat. "I overreacted."

"Don't worry so much, he seemed like a pro with the girls anyway," she waved him off. "Now can we focus on what actually matters?"

Mako closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Right," he nodded. "We need to dig through the entire case file, and we need to do it together so we can work all of this out."

She nodded, "Let's get lunch first."

"_You_ just got here," he glared. He had come in at his normal time, which was evidently much earlier than hers.

She checked the clock on the wall. "Well it's like, 11:30 already. Let's grab lunch and discuss over food."

Not only was she infuriating, she was probably incompetent. Clearly she was thinking of her stomach before the very important case they had been assigned.

"I'll buy," her voice had a singing quality as she leaned over the table.

"Deal."

Free food was something he could never argue with.

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"Narook's always reminds me of home," Korra pulled the steaming hot bowl of thick seafood noodles towards her on the now cluttered conference room table.

As much as he hated to even think it, lunch ended up being a sound suggestion from his new partner. The noodle shop was a short distance away from the station, and the walk to pick up the called-in food cleared his head. He pulled the carton of dumplings towards him with one hand and part of the case file to his side with the other.

"I know about your parents."

Mako's hand froze clutching chopsticks, halfway to his mouth. Her sudden change in demeanor surprised him.

"I wasn't sure if you were gonna tell me or you didn't want me to know," thankfully she never met his eyes. "But it's something I needed to know going forward. I don't think it will hurt us on the case. Right?"

He nodded mutely, dumpling still hanging midair.

"Good." She smiled, her eyes full of warm reassurance.

Unable to hold her gaze for long, he refocused on the suddenly very interesting food in front of him.

"So," her mouth was full of half-chewed udon noodles. He was incredibly grateful for the abrupt subject change. "I noticed something a little odd when I was going over my copy of the file."

Mako looked up and raised an eyebrow to urge her on.

"There seems to be a divide between victims nineteen and twenty."

He flipped through his file.

Korra swiped the box of dumplings from in front of him. "Did you notice that killings one through nineteen are predominantly guys with a few gals, but victim twenty and on are all female?"

"That is odd," he flipped through the list of the fallen.

The contrast was stark enough it was likely it wasn't a coincidence. It was already well known that the victims of the Red Killer seemed to range from high profile gang members, to family members of high profile businessmen, to seemingly random girls off the street. As a homicide detective, he was used to looking for patterns. Unless there was a root cause or something clearly explainable…well he honestly didn't know what to make of it.

"All of the killings though follow the Red Killer's usual method." He pulled one of the more gruesome photos from the folder. "All victims were first stabbed from behind before having their throat slit."

"But all of the killings past and including victim twenty show signs of rape before their throats were slit."

After all, the media name the "Red Killer" wasn't for nothing. Each crime-scene photoset was as gory as any he had seen. The Killer knew what he was doing, and probably wanted to maximize the gush of blood. Mako couldn't help but feel a large pang of disgust.

"Are we sure this isn't a bunch of killers?" Korra crossed her arms, halting her eating for the first time since the take-out hit the table. "The Red Killer is a big name. There could be plenty of copy-cat killings that would know they would get away by pegging it on this guy."

"The forensic reports…" he wanted to pull out the right sheet from the file to back up his position, "…show that the same knife was used. Each wound had the same depth. Probably wouldn't be multiple people then."

"Alright," Korra looked at him. Her bright eyes caught him off guard; he hadn't noticed earlier how deep they seemed, like a bottomless seas of blue. "This guy has to have some underworld connections. Why don't we work some of my vice contacts and—"

"—Take the rest of the day off?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Look. I don't know what you think _I_ do over there in the Vice Department, but it's real work okay, City Boy? I'm pretty damn sure that some of my contacts—"

"—Who you'll pay off. Or get paid off by."

"Will you fucking cut it out already?" She stood up; her chair fell backward and clattered to the floor. "Sometimes you do what you have to do, so you can get the guy that is one level deeper. You don't understand."

"You think _I_ don't understand?" He rose from his chair and took a step closer to her. He was just about a full head taller than her at standing height. "I've been a cop since I got out of the academy at twenty! That's six fucking years on the force."

"I've also been a cop for six years!"

"Yeah but only three in Republic City." He knew she transferred from being a small-town wherever she came from.

"Fine you've made your point," Korra crossed her arms but tilted her chin up. "We'll do this your way, by the book…for now."

The two were still seething, his head angled down so he could look her in the eye. They were close, and a bit too close for his liking. Her eyes were still narrowed in anger; her lips scrunched up and squeezed tightly like the fists at her side. Mako could already tell she wasn't the kind to back down.

"Now what?" He broke the thick silence.

"We investigate victim nineteen."

"And who was that?"

"The late Sato Heiress. Wife to Hiroshi Sato the scumbag."

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**Author Note: **I'm not sure in my confidence to craft a mystery, but I'm going to do my best.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count: **~2100

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

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**Chapter 3 – "I've Got a Crush on You"**

"_But, oh, my heart grew active  
When you came into view"_

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"What is up with you?" Mako cut the engine to his Satomobile. "I think this is the longest I've ever head you shut up for."

After discussing and finally agreeing what direction to move in, the pair was able to pull an early morning appointment at Future Industries. It took two cups of black coffee, but he managed to wake up and function at the early hour.

"Oh fuck you," she practically snarled, grabbing her fedora off the dashboard as she slipped out of the vehicle and pulled the collar of her trench coat up around her neck.

"Not interested in that with you. Sorry, doll," he laughed, closing the Satomobile door firmly. He jiggled the handle once, just to make sure it was locked, before striding towards the Future Industries Headquarters.

Korra grabbed him by the sleeve roughly. "You know I pretty much single handedly jailed Hiroshi Sato on racketeering and drug charges," she hissed. "Of course I don't really want to go in there."

The fall of Hiroshi Sato was one of the most high-profile cases in Republic City Police Department history. The case danced across every newspaper and radio broadcast from the first warrants for warehouse searches to Sato disappearing behind the walls of the Republic City Correctional Facility. Then there were the pictures that emerged from smuggled cameras of him behind bars in black and white striped garb that matched his graying hair. But you didn't need to be a cop to know that the gangs of the city operated in the prisons too; Sato was likely going to have a protected stay until his release day.

"Do you want to stay out here?" Mako understood this could be an awkward situation.

"Of course I don't want to fucking stay out here," she stormed off towards the building.

He shook his head and followed behind her. He still wasn't exactly sure what to make of his new partner. She clearly had a good cop's head on her shoulders, but it was easily obscured by her fiery tendencies.

"What is it? Don't want to face Asami Sato?"

With Hiroshi in jail, the reins of the company fell to his only daughter: Asami Sato. Due to some city laws passed in the wake of the Sato case, the Vice Department continued to search the Future Industries holdings and subsidiaries for a year after the case. They found nothing. Asami insisted on running a clean business, and her good looks certainly helped the positive media attention.

"It's not her," Korra shook her head. "I've worked with her. It's everyone else because I know we didn't catch them all."

Other than a great number of lower level muscle and movers for the operation, Hiroshi was the only one with any clout that Korra and her team could come up with enough evidence to convict. It was plainly obvious though that one man, standout innovator and industrialist or not, could not have run the operation on his own.

"Then let's go. We don't want to be late for our appointment, especially since we secured it in a day's notice."

The Future Industries building was an eminent feature on the ever-growing Republic City skyline. The lobby, with floors of freshly polished black marble, was no less impressive though largely empty. A few workmen fritted about, one was perched above on a ladder, slowly chiseling something in to the wall.

"Can I help you two?" The woman at the standing-level desk looked up at the echoing footsteps in the immense lobby. "Please pardon the work, the company is rebranding currently."

Mako pulled his badge out from inside his coat. "We have an appointment with Ms. Asami Sato."

"Of course," she nodded at one of the suits at the door. "He will show you upstairs."

"This way," the man led the way to the elevator.

When the man turned, Mako could just make out a slight bulge at the side. He had a small pistol beneath his jacket.

The wood paneled elevator was no less lavish then the detective would have expected. The attendant inside pulled the collapsible grill door shut before hitting the button for the fourteenth floor.

"The elevator is next to go," the attendant patted the side. "Too old and slow."

The capsule creaked to life, slowly gathering speed as they headed upwards. Mako couldn't help but notice that a few of the floors were completely empty.

"This is it," the suited man led them into a waiting area. "Ms. Sato will be out momentarily."

The waiting room was clean, a few chairs with upright backs gathered around a low table.

Korra took off her overcoat and slug it over her arm. She twirled her hat impatiently on one hand. "You gonna take that scarf off?"

"I'm fine."

"Do you _ever_ take it off?"

Mako glared and crossed his arms. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Lot of, um, empty floors," Korra spoke up.

"What Detective Korra, you didn't hear that Future Industries had a major setback a year or two back." A new voice emerged from the doorway.

Mako stood and eyed the man. He was tall, just shorter than him, and stood confidently in his well-tailored suit that bore a Future Industries logo on his lapel. The suit however did not conceal the swell of fat around his waist. His black hair was neatly slicked back, a few slivers of gray throughout and concentrated at his temples. A neatly trimmed moustache accentuated the round, soft features of his face that held a grave expression.

"Kale," Korra stood to face the man.

"You know I prefer Mr. Hibiki from you."

"I think Kale is fine," she smirked.

He knew at once from the tension between the two that Hibiki had to be one of the "everyone else" his partner had referred to earlier who eluded arrest.

"I'm Detective Mako," he held out his hand. "I can see you already know my partner, Detective Korra."

Hibiki ignored his outstretched hand and checked his pocket watch instead.

Korra took a few steps forward, "Kale here is the CFO of Future Industries. Second in command under Hiroshi and now—"

"I don't see any reason for you two to be here," the CFO's voice was emotionless. "In fact I see no reason for Ms. Sato to—"

"I'll be the judge of that." The door behind him opened revealing Asami Sato.

She was gorgeous, more so than the black and white photos in the papers let on. Her black hair, held out of her face by a clip, was accurate from the grainy spreads in the business section, but her vibrant green eyes stood out against her fair skin. A friendly smile played across her lips, made crimson from lipstick.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I had a call from a different time zone that went over. Please come in," she held the door open for the two detectives to pass through.

Mako turned and caught a final glance of Hibiki, leering as the door shut.

The office was clean and not overly ornate. The shelves were decorated with scale models of various Future Industries projects and prototypes.

"Detective Korra," Asami politely shook the shorter woman's hand. "According to my lawyers, the Republic City Police Department lost the ability for routine searche."

"This isn't about your father, Ms. Sato."

"I see."

A look of surprise crossed her face before quickly vanishing behind her all-business façade. "And you are?" she turned towards Mako. He watched her eyes dart briefly downward before she smiled at him.

"Detective Mako, homicide."

"Please, sit down," the CEO motioned towards a sitting area by the windows and he took a seat next to Asami. "Tea, either of you?"

They politely declined.

"Then what is this about?"

"It's about your mother," Korra leaned forward.

"Is that case even still open?" Asami folded her hands in her lap.

"Unfortunately. I know the case has been cold for a long time, but we'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Well if you're asking questions that means you're still looking," the Sato heiress tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What would you like to know? I can't guarantee I'll remember much, I was quite young then."

"It can be rough, losing a parent like that," Mako smiled. On one hand, opening up a bit would cut the chance of her getting defensive.

Korra shot him a glare that the CEO thankfully didn't catch. "Did your mother have any enemies?"

Asami smiled sadly, and he had to resist the urge to reach out and comfort her. "Well, with how big Future Industries was back then there were plenty. And in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not sure if my dad was working with organized crime back then."

"I'm so sorry Ms. Sato," a woman poked her head through the door. "There is a matter at the factory and they need you on the direct line right away."

"I hate to be rude," Asami stood, "but this needs to be attended to. I realize that an interview like this is pretty much useless."

"Thank you for your time," Korra pulled her coat on quickly.

"It's not a problem," she smiled; the expression of warmth was genuine as far as he could tell as it lit up her green eyes.

Mako followed Korra's lead on the way out and she passed through the door.

"Hang on!" Asami caught up behind him and grabbed him by the arm just as the door swung shut, leaving them alone.

He smiled, "What can I do for you?"

"I feel bad that this got cut short…" she blushed before making eye contact. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night? Not related to this at all! Just us!"

"I-I…yeah s-sure!" The whole situation caught him off guard.

"Kwong's Cuisine. Tomorrow night? On me?"

Mako nodded, "I-I think that works!"

"So…it's a date then!" She walked back to her desk and smiled at him as she picked up the receiver.

He left the office, a stupid grin plastered on his face. Dates were far and few between for him and to be honest, it wasn't something he actively sought out. Occasionally he would meet someone, but between paying the bills and keeping Bolin out of trouble, it wasn't a priority.

"You gonna take all day?" Korra held the elevator open.

"Sorry!"

"She asked you out, didn't she?" She put her hat on.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "It's a dead-end for our investigation anyway."

"That doesn't make it unprofessional."

"I really don't think a lecture on professionalism from a Vice detective would be worth it."

"Will you just drop that whole, '_All_ vice detectives are dirty cops,' thing?" She pushed by him roughly to leave the elevator. "We both know that whole angle is bullshit, and there are plenty of dirty homicide cops."

Mako pulled his coat on wordlessly as they exited through the Future Industries lobby. He couldn't help but notice the workman on the ladder from earlier had finished his work.

"_The past does not define our future. Future Industries – Always Moving Forward."_

He could come up with numerous examples that flew in the face of their new business model. Everyone is defined by their past, and he was no exception to that rule.

The partners walked silently back to the vehicle. The built-in radio was active inside.

"_We have a 187. Suspected Red Killer victim. Looking for badges numbered 17345 and 34829 to respond. I repeat a 187—"_

"Roger that, this is badge 34829, Detective Korra," she picked up the handset. "Location?"

"_1500 block of 15__th__. Uniforms already at scene."_

"Let's go," Mako revved up the engine.

They had work to do.

.

.

**Author Note:** I hope some of you are still with me! I'd love to hear what you think. We've got a wild ride ahead!


	4. Chapter 4

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~2000

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

**Warning:** TW - Rape

**Author Note:** I apologize for not including a trigger warning for rape earlier in the story. The act is mentioned here, but I'm not going into detail or anything because it makes me really uncomfortable. That being said I hope that this does not detract from anyone's enjoyment. I'll be more vigilant about including the trigger warning.

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**Chapter 4 – "Ain't That A Kick In The Head"**

_The room was completely black  
I hugged her and she hugged back  
Like the sailor said, quote "ain't that a hole in the boat"_

.

Police work always looked much less impressive during the day. At night, the flashing blue and red lights atop Satomobiles cast imposing shadows on the alley walls. The crowds of curious onlookers strained their eyes in the dark, imagination filling in all the details obscured by the blackness. Camera flashes from the press blind, each camera shot like a lightning strike. Hat brims lowered to avoid being on the front page of the morning papers. It's night scenes that remind him why so many of the radio dramas and pulp magazines glorify what detectives like Mako do.

During the day though, any bit of perverse allure murder might have had gets washed away by warm sunlight. Reality sets in that the body, lifeless on the pavement, was once a person and the whole world can see. Bruising, blood, and broken limbs…eventually it became one and the same.

Mako pulled his Satomobile up to the curb. "We're pretty late, press is already swarming."

Both detectives popped the collars of their jackets up and pulled their hats down to obscure their face as much as possible.

"Ready?" Korra put her hand on the door.

"Ready."

In unison the two stepped out of the car. The new arrivals did not go unnoticed by the interested bystanders, and especially not from the crime reporters whose cameras whipped around in their direction, ready to pounce at their chance for a story.

"Is it true that this is another Red Killer victim?"

"Does Detective Korra's assignment to this case mean it is connected to ongoing Vice Department cases?"

"Are the police ever planning on being able to catch this serial killer?"

"Are you afraid to take on this case after what happened to the last investigator?"

Korra closed her jacket against the wind, "No comment." Her voice was no-nonsense, but that of course didn't cause a single journalist to flinch.

The reporters were just as bad as the cops and the killers. Eventually it's just another body on the ground and the name, the story, and the family fades away into oblivion.

Together they pushed their way through the crowd until they reached the barricade. The scene was cordoned off with the usual yellow tape, but a wall of beat cops stood behind the line, eyes darting through the crowed to keep any of the throng from breaking through. This wasn't standard procedure in the slightest, but with the high profile nature of the case it was likely completely necessary.

"Watch it," a member of the crowd snarled when Mako pushed him out of the way. The guy had a nasty looking face with sharply angled cheekbones that stirred something in his memory.

Mako and Korra flashed their badges at the line before ducking under and into alley.

"Where's the body?" Mako turned to one of the cops past the perimeter.

"It's around to the right in the alley. We have it blocked off from all sides. I don't think any press even got a look at it," he pointed. "We were told not to touch anything."

"Do me a favor," the detective took a second to scan the crowd, "get one of the photographers to take photos of the crowd."

"Any reason for that?" Korra nudged him as they approached the turn in the alley.

"The Red Killer seems to me like the kind of guy that admires his work."

"Fair enough. Can't hurt."

The duo turned the corner into the small alleyway. As much as Mako hated to admit it, he too was used to seeing bodies. Mutilation and blood no longer bothered him. It was a sad fact of working in the homicide department; sooner or later it's just another body, and he was no exception to the rule.

The girl was sprawled facedown on the ground, a puddle of blood bloomed from under her head. From what he could see of her face, she was probably a good-looking gal before this happened to her. Her hands were down near her sides; she hadn't reflexively reached out to catch herself as she fell forward. Mako squinted, noticing a white sheet, obscuring the bottom half of her body.

"Did someone touch this?" Anger crept into his voice, "No one was supposed to touch this!"

"That was me sir," a man stood up from beside the body.

"Why the fuck would you do that?" His voice dripped with frustration.

"S-She was uncovered and I thought that with the press—"

"No, you didn't think. You're not supposed to fucking mess with the body."

"I was just trying to preserve some decency for her…"

"She's dead. She doesn't have any decency—"

"Mako," Korra wrenched him back by the arm. "There are photos from before the sheet I'm sure. Calm the fuck down, it's clear this kid is new to this." She turned to the now cowering man. "What's your name?"

"D-Dr. Jiro Zhou." He had to be in his early twenties and straight out of medical school. A pair of brown-rimmed glasses accented his hazel eyes. His hair was a dark brown, slicked back out of his face. "I'm from the Coroner's Office."

"Of course the damn coroner didn't get his ass out of bed…" Mako grumbled. The coroner was appointed, which of course meant that he preferred working on his golf swing instead of corpses.

Korra ignored him. "Next time, wait until we get here." She put a hand on Zhou's shoulder, "I appreciate the gesture, and ignore Detective Mako. Oh, and I'm Detective Korra."

"What have you found about the body?" Mako changed the subject back to the important matter at hand.

"From what I understand, it's pretty standard for Red Killer victims," Zhou pulled the sheet, now partially bloodstained, back from the body. "She was stabbed in the back, cause of death though was a slit throat and the ensuring blood loss."

Over his term as a homicide detective, he had seen plenty of gruesome finds. But there was something particularly sickening with the sight in front of him. The blood around her had already dried on her body, forming dark carmine streaks.

"Signs of rape?" Korra crouched down, her eyes swept over the area, scrutinizing the scene.

"As of now…it's probable from the state she was found in. But I need to look more closely at the morgue to be sure."

Mako crossed his arms and looked around the alley. The Red Killer and the victim could have come from either direction. The backstreet was well off the beaten path, and like all the other Red Killer victims, witnesses were highly unlikely. The girl didn't even have a chance.

"We found her purse!" A uniformed officer jogged over. "It's from the dumpster."

The detective accepted the worn leather bag from the cop. "Her wallet is still in here."

"Not surprised," Korra walked over to him from her position from the body.

He pulled the tattered wallet out. "Her name is Yumi Shi." He looked at one of the assisting officers, "Hey you. Can you see if any missing persons reports have been filed under that name?"

"Right away sir."

"What's this?" Korra reached inside the small bag. She pulled out a small scrap of paper with barely discernable writing scribbled on it. "It's an address."

"How far?" He refocused his attention on her from the scene around him.

"It's farther uptown…" she bit her lip as she thought. He couldn't help but think she looked cute like that, her face scrunched in concentration. "Probably a twenty minute walk from here. Maybe fifteen by car in traffic?"

A sense of excitement welled up in him. They had a lead: a small one, but nevertheless, a lead. These were the moments that he loved detective work, his chest would fill with a bubbling anticipation. There was a thrill in chasing a killer down, and especially now when he was on track to get his parents the justice they deserved long ago.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He rubbed the paper between his fingers.

"If you're thinking 'let's check the place out,' then yeah, I'm with you," Korra smiled.

"Alright we've got what we need," Mako turned to Zhou and the uniformed officers. "Go ahead and clean this all up."

.

.

"You could have gone easier on him," Korra's voice was sincere, her eyes trained out the window, eyes sweeping over the busy crowd hurrying back from their lunch break.

"Who? Zhou?" He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Traffic was at a standstill.

"Of course Zhou."

"He's lucky that he didn't screw up any of the evidence," he turned to face her, "so there's no excuse."

For the briefest of moments, her tough mask melted away and her expression softened. "Don't you remember what it was like to be green like that? Be that innocent cop who just started on the force?"

The sad thing was, he didn't. Innocence wasn't something easy to come by when your parents are cut down in front of you. Anything left of his naivety that wasn't murdered with his parents that night withered away after a few years on the streets. Innocence was something he shed as quickly as possible, and somehow his efforts allowed his brother to keep his.

"Yeah…I remember."

Traffic finally yielded and allowed them to continue on.

"Park here," Korra tapped on the window as she pointed. "We can case the joint on foot."

A quick flick of his police siren allowed him quick passage to the side of the road. They exited the car and turned the corner of the block and slipped into the crowd.

Mako scrutinized the scrap of paper, "It should be on the right here…"

"There," Korra pointed down the alleyway.

He took a look around before following his partner.

At the end of the short backstreet was a single metal door, a dim light hung from the wall overhead. Empty bottles, some broken, littered the ground. It was obvious they were just walked right over by the fine green and brown granules that covered the pavement by the door.

"What's this over here?" She pointed to a graffiti marking on the wall, and walked towards it to get a better look.

Realization hit him in the gut. On the wall was a triangle with a "T" in the center. It was a symbol he could never forget. His inner left arm, just below the elbow began to itch; he slapped at it hoping to remove the sensation as quickly as it came.

"Triple Threat Triad logo," she smiled. "This is one of their bars. Looks like we got a real lead."

.

.

**Author Note:** Another chapter down! Reviews, messages, and tags are always welcome. I love to hear what people are thinking as I string them through multi-chaps. Thanks for reading!.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~2680

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

.

.

**Chapter 5 – "The Best is yet to Come"**

"_Wait till your charms are right, for the arms to surround_

_You think you've flown before, but you ain't left the ground"_

.

They weren't called the Triple Threat Triads for nothing. The gang's specialties were drugs, extortion, and prostitution. They excelled in murder and didn't mind a bit of collateral damage to keep their reputation up on the streets. Besides, a few years in prison did wonders for a gangster's career.

They were a nasty group, and Mako knew that all too well from first hand experience. Jobs weren't exactly easy to come by for a newly orphaned eight-year-old with a younger brother to keep alive. So he did whatever he had to. He stole and ran small-time scams. He found abandoned places to live for a few cold, damp nights at a time. He carried a found knife to ward off anyone that might get any ideas in their heads.

Of course, that path was a slippery slope and eventually that ran him into the Triple Threats. He ran numbers for them and collected money for bets. It was something he wasn't proud of, but it was something he could never truly forget either. Underneath his sleeve on the inside his left arm, just below his elbow was the Triple Threat logo, the triangle with the T in the center, tattooed into his flesh. This was the very same logo as the graffiti on the wall.

Eventually, when he and Bolin learned to survive without crime, he had tried to burn the permanent marking off. Suffice to say, Mako was left with a scar that only partially obscured the gang mark.

"Triple Threat bar," Korra repeated aloud, mostly to herself he presumed. "Think this means that they're involved?"

"Could just be a coincidence."

It was true. Girl becomes a victim after a night out on the town. It was an all too familiar tale in Republic City, even when there wasn't a serial killer on the streets that had been murdering for decades.

"Well what are we waiting for?" She reached for the steel handle.

"Woah," Mako grabbed her by the shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Going in," she said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We need to discuss this somewhere else," he motioned with his head that they should get going. Standing outside of the Triple Threat bar was just asking for unwanted trouble.

Korra followed him out of the alley and back on to the street. Most desk workers had slipped back into their offices, leaving the avenue far less busy than when they had left. The two slipped into the human flow of traffic and headed in the direction of Mako's car.

"First off," they walked at an unhurried pace, "it's just after lunch. Bars really aren't too populated then."

"True…" she admitted. "But you know that this is a lead we need to follow up."

"Not to mention we would never get in there as cops."

"Then we won't go as cops."

He froze mid-step. "What are you talking about?"

"I guess Homicide Department Detectives don't go undercover often, eh?"

Since most homicides were by people the victim knew, going undercover was not needed in most cases. However, it was a staple of the Vice Detective repertoire.

"Meet me at my apartment at nine tonight," Korra pulled out her notepad and jotted down a quick address. "Then the real fun begins."

"Don't you need a ride back?"

"I've got an errand to run," she winked. "See you tonight, City Boy. Oh, and…" he watched her eyes travel up and down the length of his body, "…don't wear something that screams 'officer of the law' okay? Maybe some pinstripes."

She walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

.

.

Mako did as instructed, and wore the wide pinstriped suit with matching fedora that Bolin had insisted he buy months ago. He really never liked the thing. The cut wasn't as slim as he liked, and it made his shoulders look broader like his brother's. He clipped his shoulder holster security over his shirt and made sure that his pistol fit snugly. As usual, he swung his father's read scarf around his neck and pulled the coat overtop.

Although ten years removed from the Triple Threats, Mako still knew how they ran their business. Lightning Bolt Zolt, famous for his quick and accurate shots, was still the reigning boss. He knew he could get in to the bar with a gun, no problem.

The drive to his partner's apartment was short. The building was nice than he expected, doorman and everything. He opted to take the stairs a short three flights up, and knocked on her door.

"Ready, Cool Guy?" The door swung open.

Mako had to consciously clench his jaw to keep it from dropping to the ground.

The dress had an angled hem that stopped mid calf on one leg, and sloped upward to just above the knee. The fabric was slim and tight around her toned torso. The top dipped into a salaciously low V-neck; cleavage was practically spilling out. Surprisingly, he hadn't noticed how large her breasts were under her usual station attire comprised of black slacks, a colored button-down, and her trench coat. Her hair was down in natural curly ringlets that hung below her shoulders.

Using the best acting skills he could muster, he steadied his sure-to-crack voice. "You look like a prostitute," he deadpanned.

"Well that's the point," Korra quickly applied some lipstick before pulling a pair of simple silver earrings from the counter and slid them into place. He hadn't noticed she had pierced ears either. "As I'm sure you've seen, a lot of girls from the south end up as hookers. It's not a hard cover for me to pull off."

It was a sad reality. Republic City was a place of dreams from afar, a literal light on the horizon for so many looking for a fresh start. They'd come in with wide eyes and big dreams, only to have actuality crash down upon them. They had to earn money in one of the only avenues they could; turning tricks on the corner.

"You look good in that by the way," she smiled.

"Thanks," he couldn't help but grin.

"Now make yourself useful here. Can you help me with this?" She held up a simple silver necklace that matched her earrings.

He nodded mutely, and carefully took each open end of the clasp between his fingers. With his free hand, he gently brushed her long hair to the side, fingertips just grazing the soft, tan skin of her neck. Mako struggled with the clasps, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to get the small ends to fit together.

"You doing okay back there?" She laughed, turning just enough so she could catch his eyes out of the corner of hers.

"Y-Yeah, I just don't do this sort of thing often," he said a bit too quickly.

Mako wasn't exactly sure why he was so flustered. He was just putting on a damn necklace for fuck's sake.

Finally the two ends met.

"Let's get going," Korra pulled on a light jacket and they were out the door.

Mako drove them back down to the Triple Threat Bar and parked a few blocks out. The night hangout was just on the edge of the Financial District; he could just make out the top of the Future Industries building they had visited this morning. He pulled into a spot around the block.

"Remind me what exactly we're looking for?" He watched her shrug off her light coat, her shoulders now bared to the cool evening.

"Nothing in particular. Just anything that links our victim with the bar, and maybe even the bar with the Red Killer."

"If we're lucky."

"I don't mind lucky one bit." Korra pulled a slim cigarette out from her small bag. It wasn't what she usually smoked at the station, but it fit the look she was going for. "Light me?"

He of course obliged, pulling his worn lighter from his jacket pocket.

"Let's do this," she exhaled, smoke spiraling out of her mouth and into the stale air of the car.

They slipped out of the car together and headed down the darkened street. She slipped her arm around his waist and instinctively he draped his arm casually over her shoulders.

Soon enough they approached the alley. A small throng of people was enjoying the night air. The bars run by the gangs of the city weren't exclusive for their membership, or at least most of them anyway. But that didn't mean that there wasn't a Triple Threat contingent drinking their every night. Really, trouble only happened when a rival like the Red Monsoons or the Agni Kai thought it would be fun to slip in and stir the pot a bit.

Korra playfully slapped his chest as they approached the bouncer, "Come on," she whined, her voice super sweet and playful, "you promised me a fun night out."

"Well hang on doll, the night ain't over yet," he played along.

The bouncer barely gave him a once over. His partner, on the other hand, got an eyeful from the guy. Mako was pretty sure he wasn't looking for concealed weapons, not that she had a place to stash one with what she had on.

The two slipped through the door, bodies still pressed together as they approached the bar and found a place near the corner that they could watch most of the area. It wasn't the dive he had been expecting. The counter was a solid wood that ran most of the length of the large room, an impressive array of liquors were displayed on floor to ceiling shelving behind the bartenders that moved like bees to keep all the customers happy.

"Why don't you buy me a drink?" Korra purred with a smirk. He could tell she was enjoying every second of this.

"Of course," he winked. Two could play at that game. Mako waved down the bartender with a few yuans. "I'll take a whiskey on the rocks." He slung his arm around his partner, "and you, doll?"

"Gin fizz, please."

The bartender nodded and went off to mix their drinks.

Mako scanned the crowd, his golden eyes flicking across the room for just long enough to keep the pretense that he was completely taken with the woman in his arms. Though if he had to be completely honest, Korra at his side was a distraction.

Soon enough the drinks were in front of them. He took a practiced sip of the oak colored liquid. It wasn't bad, not that he had a budget or palate to really enjoy any of the good stuff anyway.

Scanning the crowd left to right, his eyes stopped on a man alone, staring into his drink at the bar. He had been at the crime scene. As they pushed towards the body…

"_Watch it," a member of the crowd snarled when Mako pushed him out of the way. The guy had a nasty looking face with sharply angled cheekbones that stirred something in his memory._

It was him.

"Korra," he brushed his fingers over his shoulder. "The guy at the bar with the vodka. He was in the crowd at the scene."

She leaned in close, her lips brushing against his cheek. To anyone else it looked like she was ready to whisk him out of there. "You want me to pull him out back? Get him to ourselves for a bit?"

"Sounds good. But how the heck do you want to do that without stirring up a fight? He's probably a Triple Threat."

"You leave that to me." She motioned to a side door, "That probably leads to another side alley. You meet us out there."

Mako nodded and walked towards the door while his partner slid deftly though the crowd towards the man. The detective stopped at the door a looked back. Korra had moved the Triad's hand to her bare thigh, and whispered something in his ear that made him kick back the rest of his drink and grin ferally.

A twinge of some unidentifiable emotion sparked inside him. Was it disgust at the sleazy gangster's advances? Jealousy? A need to protect his partner?

Korra pulled two cigarettes out of her bag giggling, before whispering in his ear again. She was using a private smoke as an excuse. He needed to get moving if he wanted to make it to the alley before anything went down.

He jogged out and darted around the corner holding his hat in place with his left arm, his right instinctively reaching under his coat for quick access to his pistol.

The side alley was small and littered with trash. It was where the bar kept its two dumpsters. Mako leaned against the wall, his head peeking around the corner. A door at the end of the alley opened and two figures wrapped in an embrace stumbled out. Even in the dim light he could tell it was Korra. She was practically hanging on him as he pushed her against the brick wall. Quietly as he could, he approached.

Mako grabbed him by his collar and pulled the gangster off her. "We've got a couple questions for you."

Instinctively the man threw his elbow back into Mako's gut. The detective stumbled back. It was a lucky shot, right into his solar plexus. His diaphragm stuttered as he tried to breathe, but the gangster didn't give him a chance. The follow up blow hit him in the shoulder before he could reach for his gun and he dropped to the ground, just barely catching himself before his teeth shattered on the pavement. He rolled on to his back and gasped for air.

Korra punched him from behind in the fleshy area on his side. The gangster's face scrunched up as he keened in pain. She knocked his feet out from under him, as Mako rolled away in the dirt and pulled himself to his feet.

"Hands where I can see them," she held a small Saturday night special revolver.

"Where the fuck did you get that?" He hauled the gangster up and pushed him roughly against the wall.

"Under my dress. Where else?" She smirked.

The detective rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the man they lured out. "You were at the crime scene this morning."

"Yeah so?"

Mako tightened his hold, "I want to know why."

"It seemed like it was gonna be a good show."

Korra pulled the man's left sleeve up. "Triple Threat tattoo."

"It ain't illegal, sweet thing," the gangster grinned.

The door behind them swung open and loud conversation reached his ears. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Both detectives looked over.

"Hey, that's Ling there!"

Mako shoved him to the ground. He didn't have to tell Korra to move as they ran down the alley and swung around the corner. They leapt into the car, and he gunned it away as fast as he could.

"Well that was a fat load of shit," Korra slammed her head back against the seat.

"My gut says he's not involved."

She sighed, "Yeah I agree."

"Now what?"

"Back to the file I guess."

.

.

**Author Note:** Longest chapter yet, and more to come! Thank you if you're following this. I'd love if you'd drop a quick review/message/tag note to let me know if someone is actually reading this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3000

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

.

.

**Chapter 6 – "I've Got You Under My Skin"**

_"But each time that I do just the thought of you_

_Makes me stop before I begin_

_'Cause I've got you under my skin."_

.

Mako had an uneventful evening at his apartment that melded into an equally uneventful morning at the station. He flipped through the Red Killer file, looking for any little morsel of information that might lead them just a few inches closer to catching the bastard. Eventually he lost count of how many horrible cups of coffee he had from the break room, his mug half full of cold coffee dregs.

The conference room allocated for their use was silent save the sound of ruffling papers. Korra dropped by his office that morning to let him know she had to be in court as the arresting officer in one of her recently closed Vice Department cases. She smirked and assured him that it wouldn't take long, as the guy completely spilled his guts when she got him in the interrogation room. Korra left just before lunch, so he fended for himself and grabbed a quick bite from a street vendor nearby before continuing his work.

He would never admit it aloud, but he missed having her around. Although they had only worked together, let alone known each other for or all of something like five days, there was something special about his time with her. He could never call working on a case like the Red Killer enjoyable, however Korra made it bearable at the least.

What was evident was how different she was than him. Only now could Mako understand why Chief Beifong paired them together. They each moved and thought in different directions and planes, and when you're trying to catch a serial killer that has evaded the police for decades, a new approach is really the only next option.

"Have you seen Korra around?" A figure appeared in the conference room doorway.

Mako eyed the man closely, not recognizing him. He was incredibly pale, half his face covered by a coif of painstakingly styled hair. The blue suit he wore could only be described as ostentatious to the highest degree. His light blue shirt was rolled up past the elbows, his jacket slung casually over his shoulder.

"Not recently," Mako closed the file he was working through. "Can I help you with something?"

"She asked me to look into a bar for her," his tone of voice alone screamed that he was a sleezeball.

"Who did you say you were?"

"I didn't," his lips curled into a smirk. "But if you really want to know…the name's Tahno. Vice Department."

Of course he was from Vice. And of course he was one of Korra's co-workers. Mako narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at the man. A few odd markings on the Vice Detective's arm caught his eye. They looked like needle pricks, just below the elbow, like those that you would get from injecting one of the many drugs you could buy on the streets of Republic City, if you knew the right place to look.

Tahno caught him staring, and pulled his sleeve down hastily. "Well if you see Korra—"

"Who me?" Korra smirked, pushing past Tahno into the makeshift Red Killer headquarters. "Told you this wouldn't take long. The guy was booked, easy. Would have been back earlier, but the DA wanted to grab a late lunch. Everyone wants the latest scoop on the Red Killer."

"I got the stuff you wanted me to look into," Tahno pulled a file and handed it quickly to Korra. "If you need any more…_information_…I'd be more than happy to look into it for you."

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Mako tried to hide his growing disgust for the man.

"Just police work. Standard things everyone should know. And if you ever want to know how a _real_ detective works, come over to vice," he sneered, before slinking out of the room.

"Korra, what was he talking about?"

"I had him work some of his contacts to see if we could get a bit more info on that bar. He has some _interesting_ connections."

"What, like his drug dealer?" Mako crossed his arms.

"How did you even know that?" She hissed, closing the door to the conference room.

"I'm a detective. Oh, and the fresh needle marks on his arms were a dead giveaway."

"Everyone has a vice," she muttered softly. As if on cue, she pulled a cigarette out, and wordlessly held the end for him to light.

He, of course, obliged her.

"You shouldn't be so quick to judge," smoke seeped out from between her lips. "These," Korra held up the cigarette, "are stand ins. It's easy to fall into some deep shit when you're surrounded by it every single day."

Of course he wasn't the only who kept some secrets close to the chest. In this city, everyone had something to hide.

"Tahno figures that these guys…" she flipped the file open and dropped it in front of Mako, "are weak links we could probably pay off to get a few morsels of information. But none of them are going to have the full picture alone—"

"We're not going to pay anyone off."

"Look, this might get us closer to the Red Killer—"

"At what cost?" Mako stood up. "I don't do that dirty cop work shit!"

"We haven't gotten anywhere with this today, and this is the only thing we have to go on." Korra slammed her open palms on to the table with a resounding smack.

"There's still more that we can go through," he moved towards her so they were barely a step away. "Let's keep as a last resort or something."

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in through her nose. Her shoulders dropped, tension ebbing away. He could tell she was trying not to escalate this situation further. Slowly, her jaw unclenched, her eyes opening to reveal her stunning blue eyes.

"Can we at least stake out some of these guys tonight?"

"I have plans."

The calm she had found gave way to a torrent of anger swirling just beneath the surface. He could have sworn that her eyes darkened at the edges. "You have that fucking date with Sato tonight, don't you?"

"Last time I checked, I don't need your approval."

"I'm just telling you it's a bad idea."

"Well good thing our investigation isn't going anywhere today," Mako grabbed his coat off the back of his chair. "I'm leaving early. I'll see you tomorrow."

.

.

Kwong's Cuisine was the best-tasting, most fancy, and most expensive restaurant in the city. No other eating establishment even came close in any of those categories. The food and liquor, along with the incomparable atmosphere, were what justified the price to its patrons. Mako, however, was not one of those people. When he dined out, he preferred the hole-in-the-wall sort of place that had a regular clientele who came back again and again for the great food. But who was he to deny a pretty lady a dinner of her choosing?

Mako pulled his best suit out of his closet. He dressed in a black, thin cut jacket with a white silk tie, and pants that showed off his long legs all the way down to his black and white oxfords. Asami hadn't specified a time, so he called her just after he left the station for the day. She had made a reservation for seven in the evening.

"Lookin' good bro!" Bolin clapped him on the back. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"How do you know I'm even going on a date?" Mako smoothed his jacket down.

"Umm, isn't it obvious? You never dress that nicely. And you keep running your hand through your hair, and you only do that when you're nervous."

The detective's arm froze, his fingers tangled in his hair.

"So…" Bolin grinned. "Who is she?"

"You wouldn't know her," he took a closer look at what his brother was wearing. "You're going out too tonight." Not that he was surprised. His brother was out most nights anyway.

"Meeting Korra at a bar."

Mako glared at him silently.

"Relax," he dropped on to the couch. "She's not into me and I know that. She's fun. I'm fun. She likes drinking. I _love_ drinking. She's—"

"I get the point," Mako snapped.

"Didn't know that was such a soft spot."

"It's not, but I'm going to be late." He pulled his black fedora from the hat rack by the door.

"You'll never take her home if you don't show up on time!" Bolin hollered after him.

Feeling particularly in control of his emotions, Mako just slammed the door behind him.

He slid into his car; Kwong's was only a ten-minute drive away if traffic cooperated. He pulled up into the restaurant's circle and handed his keys off to the valet. Inside, he passed his overcoat and hat off to coat check.

"Reservation?" The host looked down his nose at Mako.

"Yes, with Ms. Sato."

"Right this way, she has a private room for the evening."

The detective followed the host through the restaurant, twisting around elegantly decorated corners and past ornate displays. The host pushed open a plush door.

"Mako!" Asami got to her feet. She pulled him into a hug and kissed him on the cheek. He found this quite forward for a second meeting.

"I'm glad I was able to get away from the station tonight," he slid into the booth next to her.

She smiled, "I know that case must be taking a lot of your free time."

"And it's only just started too," he laughed.

"It means a lot to me that my mother's murder is still being looked into," she reached out and touched his hand.

"It's my job."

"And for the handsome detective working on it," she winked, "dinner is on me."

It had been a while since he last dated. He forgot how pressured he could feel to fill gaps in conversation and keep smiling and engaged.

But somehow, perhaps by an act of some supreme being, the date went really well. Mako couldn't really take the credit; she did all the work. Asami was smooth and sophisticated. Every line that came out of her mouth sounded practiced and full of poise, but not in a faux way. She was just so refined, and it was utterly jarring for him. He wasn't sure how to handle her, whether to lead or follow. Mako was utterly taken with her. Usually in these situations he was able to pull a suave façade on and take the reigns. Here, he was swept up for a ride that he wasn't ready for.

After a four-course meal and a few more cocktails and glasses of wine than he bargained for, his mind wandered. He couldn't help but wonder what Bolin and Korra were up to at whatever dive bar the two of them probably picked. His brother never liked the ritzy places, despite being able to afford them when he won a match. It probably wasn't a poor assumption to make that Korra had the same taste.

"You still there?" Asami's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She had the check in her hand.

"Are you sure I can't get the bill?" He split the remaining wine between the two of them.

"Of course not, I said it was my treat."

"Not even half?" Mako knew even that amount was probably more than he made in a month, but he felt obliged to offer anyway.

Asami paid the bill without blinking. "Nonsense."

"Thank you so much dinner," he took a risk and placed his hand on hers. "I-I really had a nice time."

"Would you like to come back to my place for another drink maybe? I have an apartment just down the block, you could get your car in the morning." She tipped her chin down with a confident grin, "I've been told I make an excellent mint julep."

The words "in the morning" played over and over again in his head. Asami Sato was planning on taking him home for the night. Yes it was sudden, but he had encounters with far less exposition than this. Sometimes that was what people needed: a time to let off a bit of steam and let go if only for a bit. It was clear that she was looking for a good time, and that wasn't something that he was going to turn down.

"Y-Yeah that's fine."

How and when they left the restaurant and stumbled down the street to a ritzy apartment building was a fog. All he knew was that once they got back into her private penthouse, making mint juleps were not on either of their minds.

She tore his jacket off while he pulled at his tie, and worked the buttons on his shirt off in record time. Mako fumbled with her dress until it pooled at her feet, revealing a lacy set of black lingerie underneath. Somehow they made their way to her bedroom, his pants and underwear discarded along the darkened hall.

Asami pushed him back to a sitting position on the bed. She dropped to her knees in front of him, lightly teasing the tip of his hard cock with her tongue. He closed his eyes and leaned heavily back on his arms. His toes curled in the plush carpet, his hands fisting the delicate comforter. God, it just felt so damn good. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a chance for release that wasn't by his own hand.

For a second, the thought passed through his mind on what it would feel like if it were Korra's mouth on him. She'd probably flash a shit-eating grin after she finished him off, pleased with her work. She'd make a quip or two with one of his nicknames thrown in.

Fuck no! He was with Asami right now and it felt damn good! His mind struggled to refocus, and he was afraid he was going to lose his hard-on. He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, and thought only of what was going on in between his legs.

"God that feels so good…" his head dropped back. "I-If you don't stop I'm not going to have a chance to do the same for you…"

"Oh you will," she murmured, one hand still stroking him up and down. "I'll give you a chance to recover before we start again."

With that, her mouth enveloped his cock, her tongue spiraling around the tip as she bobbed her head up and down. Her hand twisted in rhythm at the base, varying tight squeezes with gentle caresses.

"That is," she hummed against him, "as long as you stay the night."

.

.

"Bolin said you didn't go home last night," Korra crossed her arms as she leaned against the conference room table. "And you got in later than me, which means that something's up."

Mako gritted his teeth. "I could ask you the same thing. You went out with Bolin. Again."

"Well, 'went out' is accurate I guess, but probably not in the way you're implying," she smirked. "I was basically his wingman all night. He really does love the ladies—"

"You're jerking him around."

"I am not!" Her voice rose above talking volume. "How many times do I have to tell you that I have not fucked, and do not plan to fuck your little brother?"

"Yeah right…" he muttered.

"Wait a second…" Korra eyed him closely. "You're wearing the same clothing you were yesterday."

"Shut up Korra—"

"You spent the night with Asami."

"Shut up Korra—" his voice increased in intensity.

"You fucked her, didn't you?"

"It's none of your business!" he hissed in anger.

"You're right," she leaned back. "It's not. Because I, unlike you, don't care about who you end up in bed with."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on!" She laughed. "You keep pressing me about your brother. Admit it. You like me."

"No, I'm with Asami."

"So you are then, eh?" Korra teased. She thought this was one damn big joke. "I bet you were thinking of me."

He hoped she didn't notice the blush he could feel creeping up on his face. She hit the nail on the head with that accusation. "You need to fucking get over yourself."

"Just being honest," she held a cigarette out, expecting him to light it.

"You're crazy!" He pushed her hand away.

"Well you're a liar!"

"Hey you two…" a beat cop leaned in through the conference room door.

"What?" The two yelled in unison.

"We just got a report of some doll who got attacked last night. She's sayin' it was the Red Killer."

"Dead?" Korra asked.

"No, alive. She's in the hospital, Saint Luke's."

The two partners looked at each other, their argument pausing to give way for their jobs.

"What are we waiting for?" She grabbed her hat.

"Nothing I guess," he grabbed his coat.

They were out the door without another word.

.

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**Author Note: **Nobody kill me please. :D This took a bit longer than I hoped, but thank you all for sticking with me. Feedback is amazing to receive, and I'd love if you took a second to drop me a review, tags in a reblog (if you love it spread the word!), or a message. Next chapter is on the way!


	7. Chapter 7

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~2900

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

**Trigger Warning:** Rape is mentioned, no details explicit or otherwise.

.

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**Chapter 7 – "My Way"**

"_For what is a man, what has he got?_

_If not himself, then he has naught"_

.

Saint Luke's Hospital was one of the larger medical facilities in the city. The building stretched a full block on one side, and towered a full ten stories over the busy Midtown streets swollen with commuters slogging through the morning traffic rush. Mako, of course, flipped his siren and lights on, hoping to slip through congestion. But traffic can only give way so fast in complete gridlock.

Despite the slow going, the two partners rode in a thick silence, the fallout of the earlier heated argument still hung like a fog in the air between them. Mako was happy simply not to talk about it at all. It was easier to compartmentalize it off, and pretend it was completely detached from the work they did professionally together. He could just box it away and do their job. They needed to catch this bastard of a killer with no distractions.

The quiet continued when their vehicle finally broke through the traffic and pulled up in the roundabout of the Saint Luke's. The detectives slid out the car, and pushed into the lobby. People rushed across the open area, a sense of purpose under their feet as they bustled to whatever crisis called them at the moment.

Wordlessly, Korra pointed towards the reception desk across the way.

Mako nodded, and took the lead. Korra seemed content to forget the argument also, but he could see that she was still unsettled. Her hands fiddled with an unlit cigarette.

"You shouldn't smoke in here," he shattered silence between them.

"I know," she hissed. "Why do you think I haven't asked you to light it?"

He ignored her jab, and pulled his badge out, placing it on the reception counter. "Detective Mako. Republic City Police, Homicide Department. We received a report that you're treating a woman who thinks she was attacked by the Red Killer. We're the investigating officers on this case and we would like to see her."

The female receptionist nodded, looking up from her work. "I was told to expect you. I'll take you upstairs to her where you can talk to her attending physician."

Mako and Korra followed the woman into the service elevator. The receptionist hit the button for the third floor.

He always hated hospitals. The smell of bleach and the sick alone made him cringe, and the unnaturally white walls made him feel uncomfortable to an almost claustrophobic degree. When you're an orphan on the street, the hospital is a place of danger. Even though a visit could save your life, all the doctors and nurses would ask an endless stream of questions. A few missteps in answering could have landed them in protective custody. Protective custody would have split him and his brother up for good.

After what seemed like dozens of twists and turns, they finally reached the room. The door was closed, and a doctor was waiting outside.

"You must be the detectives," the man in the lab coat spoke up. He held a clipboard underneath his arm, overstuffed with papers. "I'm Dr. Keanu."

"You've been treating the victim?" Korra asked.

"Yes, she came in last night," Keanu nodded. "Her name is Nanami Wu. She was assaulted somewhere in the Financial District and was helped by a passerby. But you can probably get more information from her."

"What is the extent of her injuries?" Mako questioned.

"Well, she was sexually assaulted and got roughed up. It was an attempted rape…she was lucky that a passerby stopped to help." The doctor flipped through the file. "Other than that, she has some bruising, and a superficial cut to her throat. She was held at knifepoint during the assault. There aren't any very serious injuries, so we will be discharging her later this evening."

"Anything else we should know?" Mako noticed the curtains to the private room were drawn.

"Well a uniformed officer already took her statement statement…I would just ask that you be patient and gentle with her."

"Of course," Korra motioned to the door. "Mind if we go in?"

Keanu nodded and stepped aside.

Mako followed his partner into the small hospital room. It was overly lit, even with curtains on the windows tightly drawn. The small hospital cot was placed in the center of the far wall, a small table on either side.

"Hello Ms. Wu," Korra's voice was gentler than he had ever heard it before. "I'm Detective Korra, and this is Detective Mako. Can I call you Nanami?"

The woman nodded. She looked so small in the hospital bed, her tanned skin washed out by the white that surrounded her in ceiling, floors, walls, and blankets. This observation didn't even consider the thin gown she seemed to drown in.

"Do you think you can tell me about what happened?" His partner pulled a chair up to the side of her bed. "We're investigating the Red Killer case, and we could use a statement from you."

He couldn't help but be surprised at Korra's conduct. Suddenly, the abrasive Vice Detective faded away into a softer woman, that before this moment, he thought could have never possibly existed. Before now, was a very two-dimensional figure in his mind that seemed to only exist to irritate him. Now…well, he felt like he had a lot of reevaluating to do.

"I-I was just walking home, and the man grabbed me and held a knife to my neck…" she uttered softly, eyes trained into her lap. "He s-said i-if I called for help he would kill me right then."

"The reason we were called in was because you suspected the Red Killer," Korra smiled warmly.

"W-Who else would do this?"

Mako's gaze met Korra's for a brief moment. He felt as if they shared a second of understanding. She was on the same page as him. This wasn't work of the Red Killer. No, this was just evidence of the mounting hysteria in the city surrounding the serial killer on the loose. Cities were as much living, breathing, organic beings as they were hunks of concrete and steel bent to man's will. If they weren't able to quell the panic that simmered below the surface, this whole case could blow up right in their face.

"I think that's all we need," his partner stood up. "Thank you for your time."

The two detectives stepped quietly out of the hospital room.

"Are you thinking what I am?" Mako lead the way towards where he assumed the exit was.

"Not the Red Killer," she shook her head. "He would have stabbed her in the back with that short blade first. Dammit!" In anger she kicked a stray medical cart. Various metal instruments clattered to the floor as her temper erupted. "We don't have a lead. _Again._"

"Come on," he grabbed her roughly by the sleeve and pulled her into the stairwell. "You're crazy."

The fact that he had said that exact line during their morning argument hit him square in the gut. By no means did he want to dredge up their argument again. If it only it would just disappear and evaporate away.

"Get your hands off me," she shoved him against the wall. "You've got no right to manhandle me like that."

"I'm trying to keep you in check," he hissed, "I'm trying to protect you here."

"Protect me?"

Mako could tell she was taken off guard. She was his partner, which meant that his job was to watch her back and keep her out of harm's way.

"Uhh, I… yeah."

She stormed off down the stairs in front of him. "I can't wait until this fucking case is finished so I can get away from you."

"Korra!"

"Let's just check out the area where that poor girl was attacked so we can call it a fucking day."

He had no choice other than to follow after her. Maybe he didn't have much reevaluating to do about her after all. The faster they solved this case, the faster she was out of his life.

.

.

"This is the place?" Mako followed behind her through the maze of alleys in the Financial District.

Somehow this case was forming into him following Korra around. On one had, that prospect didn't seem too bad, if she wasn't acting completely crazy.

"It must be," she checked both sides of the scrap of paper she had scribbled the address down on.

The alley was nothing special. It wasn't even blocked off by police tape any longer, its irrelevance clear even to the beat cops that responded. The alley was littered with dumpsters, and overturned empty boxes that made the cut-through a quasi obstacle course in itself. There was nothing; this was a complete fool's errand.

"There is nothing here…" he frowned.

"You can't say that yet."

"No amount of mediocre cop work is going to change the fact that this lead is a total dead end."

"Did you just say, _mediocre_?"

"Yes I did," his anger was starting to get the best of him. "In fact, I can't wait to catch this fucker. You're not my friend, and you're barely my colleague. We don't work well together."

"Wait," she narrowed her eyes, "this is still about this morning's argument, isn't it?"

"It is not—"

A group of men rounded the corner into their alley. Their loud laughter carried, echoing off the tall walls of dirty brick.

"Shit," Korra hissed.

"What is it?" Mako pretended to still have his attention solely on her.

"Those are the guys from bar that we had _so much fun_ with…" she gritted her teeth. "We can just hope that they don't notice us and—"

"No way they are—"

"Hey! Those two are the ones that Ling grabbed the other night!"

Korra had no sooner pulled him to the ground by the back of his coat before a bullet whizzed through the air where his head would have been. She scrambled behind one of the overturned dumpsters for cover and wasted no time trading shots with the Triple Threat members long enough for him to roll behind a sturdy-looking wooden box.

Quickly, he pulled his pistol out from beneath his jacket and flipped the safety off with ease. "How many of them are there?" Mako whispered, peeking out from the side.

"There are four," she glanced over at him, her back flush against the dumpster.

He looked over the top, waiting for his targets to appear further down the alley. This kind of shootout wasn't going to last long; as soon as someone called the cops, they would have enough back-up to shoot the gangsters full of holes. Soon enough, a head slowly moved from out behind the cover of an overturned trashcan. Mako squeezed the trigger without hesitation, firing off a few rounds. Another two enemies joined the fray, emerging closer up the alley to him. Korra fired quickly at the two, the pops of gunfire echoing in his head as she suppressed their fire down.

"Are you sure there were four? I only saw three." Mako looked around, desperate for something he could use. "Slide me that bottle," he pointed to an empty beer bottle by Korra's feet.

She slid it to him without protest.

He needed to be sure that there were four combatants as she thought. "Keep their attention for a second, will you?

Korra nodded, loading a new clip into her pistol. "Hey over here!" She hollered, before waving her hand up in the air. As soon as the fire began she rolled to the side of the dumpster and fired a few quick volleys.

Mako tossed the bottle high in the air. The green-tinted glass spun and arced before falling quickly to the ground. The bottle shattered, and immediately drew fire from all the parties on the firefight. There were still only three Triple Threats.

"There are only three I—" He only had a second to realize that the fourth gangster had slipped behind them. "Korra—"

The metal barrel of the man's revolver smacked him in the temple. He seemed to fall in slow motion to the ground, his right arm twisting painfully underneath his body as he collapsed, his pistol scattering away. Unable to catch himself due to the force of the blow, his forehead rammed painfully into the gravelly pavement. Mako struggled to maintain consciousness; twilight tugged him down to the depths of sleep. Blood trickled down from the gashes on his head on to the dusty concrete below him.

Somehow, he managed to engage his left arm while his vision faded in and out. He rolled on to his stomach. A few fresh gunshots rang in his ears. If he wasn't dead yet, that meant that Korra had been able to take care of the man that beat him down. That or…the alternatives weren't great.

"Hey. Get up."

Someone rolled him over gently by the shoulder. He felt himself get pulled on to the person's knee. Mako managed to open his eyes.

"It's over," Korra helped him to sit up. "The patrol cops got here, but the Triple Threats escaped…well except the guy that tried to mess with you."

His eyes glanced over to the wall next to him. The gang member that pistol-whipped him was slumped against the wall, a gory bullet hole marred where the man's forehead once was. Mako made a mental note never to get on her bad side more than he already was.

"We're going to need to get you to the hospital to have this checked out," she brushed his hair, now covered in blood to the side. "You're lucky the guy hit you like a wuss. This could have killed you. You need to get patched up."

"I'm not going to the hospital."

"You don't really have much of a choice," she smiled and squeezed his hand.

Warmth from her caring affection flushed through him, and he was sure it wasn't just a side effect from his injury. The woman had range; he had to give her that. One moment she's comforting a victim, the next she's practically biting his head off. Then she's blasting off armed assailants, only to cradle his head in her lap.

"Please?" His voice came out a dry croak.

"Yeah…" she relented. "Let me grab a medkit and I'll drive you back to your place. You're lucky I know where you live because of Bolin. Not to mention that I've got pretty good medical training. Think you can stand up?"

Mako nodded, and gratefully slung his arm over her shoulder. They stood up together.

"Can I get a fucking medkit over here?" Korra's request sent a few alarmed police personnel scrambling. A medical kit was in her free hand in no time at all.

Carefully, she helped him into the passenger side of the car.

"Here," She gave him a pad of gauze. "Hold it to your forehead so you don't bleed all over your nice leather interior, okay?"

He followed her instructions. In the end, Korra really did care.

"I'm sorry…about earlier…" he allowed his eyes to close.

"You don't have to—"

"Yes. Yes I do." He needed to make this right. "I can get…hot-headed sometimes. You're one hell of a cop, and anything I said otherwise was my anger getting the best of me."

"I know the feeling…I'm sorry I egged you on through all the arguments today. I just started pushing your buttons and didn't think enough to stop. Things are kind of confusing, huh?"

Mako didn't know exactly what she was referencing. Confusing like this case? How the Triple Threat members just happen to be around the area where the girl was assaulted. Confusing like the relationship (or lack there of) between his brother and Korra? Or confusing like how he knew he wanted to keep dating Asami, but thoughts of his new partner had begun to creep in.

"Yeah…confusing. Thanks for not giving up on me though." He smiled.

"Well, I'm hoping we can be friends."

Soon enough they reached his apartment. He leaned heavily on Korra as they climbed the stairs. His consciousness of the situation waned as his need for rest increased with each step he struggled to make.

"Bolin…just needs to be patched up…and rest…" Korra's voice drifted into his mind.

Two sets of hands dragged him into bed. A soft hand cleaned his forehead off with lukewarm water. A cup of tea tipped into his open mouth.

All the while he fell asleep, knowing there is much to be done. That night he dreams of the Red Killer and his partner with her bright blue eyes.

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**Author Note:** Hope you all enjoyed it! I would love to hear your feedback as usual. Reviews, comments in the tags, messages, and reblogs especially are well welcomed. See you next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3300

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

.

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**Chapter 8 – "The Very Thought of You"**

"_The mere idea of you, the longing here for you_

_You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you"_

.

"You feeling okay?" Korra eyed him with concern as he threw himself down into a chair.

"Yeah a bit," he grimaced. His temple was covered by a palm-sized adhesive bandage, a bit of dried blood was visible at the edges. "Woke up with a headache so I popped a few aspirin. Thanks again for patching me up last night."

"It's not a problem," she smiled. "You ready to get to work?"

"Of course…wait," he noticed the large board that had been carted into the room. A huge map of Republic City was attached and littered with red thumbtacks. "Where the fuck did you get the map?"

"I stole it from the lobby." She said it like it was no big deal.

"I'm not going to even comment on that."

She flashed a grin, "I figured, but we need it. I was up late last night, and I figured that maybe just visualizing where the kills have taken place would help us out."

Mako stood up too quickly; his head immediately began to throb and he reached out to the table for support.

"You should have taken the day off."

As if they had time for that. They both knew that the pressure to catch this guy was increasing with every day he remained on the loose. On his commute in, he caught a minor headline on the front page of the Republic City Daily that spoke of how frustrated "tough on crime" City Councilman Tarrlok was with the seeming lack of progress. If things continued how they were going, Chief Beifong was going to have to make a statement to the press, which would only further the attention on the case. It was a never-ending cycle that only could end with the Red Killer in cuffs. Considering all that, Mako decided to ignore his partner's remark.

"So each pin represents a victim?"

"Or at least as close as I could get," Korra nudged the file towards him.

He squinted at the map. The red pins were numbered in what he assumed was chronological order. They were clustered tightly around the Financial District, but he counted at least thirteen outliers that were scattered throughout the city. Mako recognized two of the pins nestled into the same point in the Upper West Side. It was a small side street that he would never be able to forget.

"Most of the old killings were scattered through worse neighborhoods, while every single one of the killings since victim number twenty, where the MO changed, has happened in the Financial District."

"What are you thinking then?"

"I'm thinking that with the Red Killer being around so long, other cold-case killings were bound to get tossed into this file because they were incomplete. The MO seems to fit with certain victims, what with the throat slitting—"

"I get your point," he waved her off quickly, not wanting to delve into details of his parents in such a…clinical fashion.

"It's almost like we're working with two different killers. Either that, or something big happened to change this bastard's MO. Do you think it could be a business man or something?" Her face scrunched up in thought.

"Maybe?"

It was a difficult blanket claim to make. Anyone had access to the Financial District of course, and it was a popular neighborhood to walk through as it was located right at the tip of Republic City that jutted out into the harbor towards Temple Island. What was clear, however, was that a pattern of some sort was emerging. Hopefully with more evidence they could piece together this case.

"While you were sleeping off your head wound, I was spending some quality time with our file here. We have a problem—"

"Mako!"

The two detectives had their attention wrenched towards the door.

"Asami?" He stood rooted in place. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if I could steal you away for lunch…what happened to your head?" Asami closed the distance between them that he was evidently unwilling to remove himself. She gingerly placed a hand on his cheek.

Mako caught Korra's icy glare from the corner of his eye and swallowed the urge to cringe. "It's just a scratch…just something that happened on the case."

"If so say so…" she wasn't fully dissuaded, but seemed content not to pusher her point. She turned to Korra having just noticed her presence. "Korra," her voice was cordial.

"Ms. Sato," his partner nodded and pulled a cigarette out of the half empty carton on the table.

"You really can call me Asami you know."

"I'll keep that in mind," her smile didn't quite meet her eyes.

He couldn't read his partner at all. In fact, this was the most straight-faced he had ever seen her. From his experience, Korra always threw herself headfirst into every single situation she managed to get herself into. But here…well he didn't know how to describe it. She wasn't quite cold or curt with Asami, but she certainly wasn't welcoming the woman with open arms. Of course, there was history between the two with Korra's leading position on the Sato case. But even with that, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't seeing the whole picture. He was missing something, he had to be.

Mako moved over to Asami and slung his hand around her waist. "I really can't do lunch today. How about dinner tonight? I'll pick a local joint. How's that sound?"

"Lovely," she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll meet you…"

"—Here. Meet here at five for an early dinner?"

"It's a date!" Asami waved as she left the room.

Korra smirked, kicking her feet up on the conference room table. "If that wasn't awkward, I don't know what is."

"Shut up," he frowned. He hated being on the receiving end of that smug grin of hers.

"And well gosh darn it Mako, if I had known we could bring guests in here—"

"Do you have a problem with Asami?" The words left his mouth before he had a chance to think.

She glared at him, "If you're asking if I have a _personal_ problem with Asami Sato, then no I don't."

"Then what is up with you? We're looking into her mother's death on this case and I went out on a date with her. What's the big deal?"

Korra took a deep breath before speaking. "I'll say this. Asami Sato is a woman who knows what she wants, and knows exactly how to get it. She's a daddy's little girl that is used to getting her way."

The fact that she seemed to be picking her words carefully without getting carried away and launching an argument caught him off guard. He hadn't known her long, but her propensity for bickering was pretty damn clear already.

"What do you mean by that?" Mako pressed.

"Look," she sighed, "I didn't want the whole monitoring deal that we got over Future Industries when we booked Hiroshi. I wanted to keep digging. With a drug ring as big as we were dealing with, cutting the head off isn't enough to flush out the whole organization. All Asami had to do was bat her eyes and the DA thought it was enough to jail Hiroshi and take the good publicity."

"…So you think Asami was involved."

"No, the point is I don't know!" Anger finally crept into her voice. "I never had the chance to find out."

"Okay okay," he raised his hands up in surrender. "What were you saying earlier about the case?"

"So as I was saying, we have a problem—"

"Wait…" he held up a hand.

"Really? I'm going get interrupted twice before I can say something case related?"

"Fuck, I promised Bolin I would go out for dinner with him tonight."

Seeing Mako get dragged in to the apartment bloody and beaten had been a surprising reversal in the brother's respective roles. It shook Bolin enough that he wanted to get some "quality time" in as they hadn't had much opportunity as of late at all, what with his professional boxing career. From what Mako could tell, his brother was serious about it too. Apparently he cancelled a date with a doll he really liked.

"Well looks like you'll have to cancel one."

He hated being in situations that pulled him in two directions. He knew that with each decision came consequences that could hurt the parties involved. The last person he wanted to hurt was Bolin, and her certainly didn't want to nip the budding relationship he had with Asami. She was great, she really was. Funny, interesting, and sophisticated, but that didn't change the fact that he barely knew her. He couldn't give up on Bolin.

"Better idea," he looked her in the eye. "You come too."

"What?" Korra snickered, "You want me there so Bolin doesn't third-wheel, don't you?"

"Please?" The last thing he wanted to do was have to plead with her. All it would do was boost her already inflated ego, and he only had so much dignity to give.

"Fine, but you buy me dinner."

"Deal."

"And booze."

Mako groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright. Deal."

"As I was saying earlier before I was rudely interrupted _twice_, our case file is missing a bunch of information."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

He had been through the file dozens of times since they had started on the case, and not once had it occurred to him that anything was missing. The file was old after all, and was bound to feel incomplete next to the ever-improving Republic City Police Department documentation standards.

"We're missing complete medical examiner reports, especially the photos for just about every murder."

"Holy shit…you're right," his eyes widened. "I have no idea how I missed that."

"I missed it too," she shrugged. "So you know what that means."

"We need to pay the coroner a visit, don't we?"

Yes, the coroner who couldn't get his ass out of bed to get to the crime scene of the last legitimate Red Killer victim. The guy's medical degree was as shoddy as the tenement houses on the north side of the Twin Crossings Bridge. He spent more time roulette table then at his autopsy table. Overall, the guy was bad news and didn't deserve to be in office for a second longer than he already was.

Korra nodded and grabbed her coat off the rack. "Let's get this over with. Oh, and by the way, I'm driving today."

"You've got to be kidding."

"Hey I'm not the one who was smacked in the head yesterday!" She pulled a cigarette and held it out for him to light. "Now lets get going, City Boy."

.

.

The drive to the downtown coroner's office was quick. Korra sped through the Republic City streets in a car that was befitting of a Vice Detective: a very new, roofless Satomobile. Mako let his head fall against the soft leather of the headrest. Today was already turning out to be more than he bargained for. Maybe he should have stayed home today. There was just so much on his plate: Bolin was worried about him, the case was growing in complexity each day, and he had no idea where he stood with Asami, who seemed adamant to continue on with him.

Relationships were complicated, and complicated was typically what he tried to avoid.

"Hey Mako," a hand shook him gently on the shoulder. "Did you doze off? We're here."

"Great," he pulled his fedora off his lap and slipped it on.

Korra lit up a cigarette from the lighter in the car. "All we need to do is get the pictures and go."

The coroner's office was an old building in the city center that was shared with a few other miscellaneous city government offices. The age of the facility showed; the lights flickered as they headed down the hall lined with white walls stained with grime. They didn't pass a single person on their way in. Finally, the detectives reached the office, hidden deep within the poorly lit building. Right at the center, a man slumped over a desk stacked high with papers and files.

"We're here to see the coroner," Mako leaned on the cluttered desk. "We're with Republic City PD Homicide Department. This is about the Red Killer case." He pulled his badge out from inside his jacket.

The man didn't even bother to look in their direction, "He's out on a golf lunch."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me…" Korra mumbled under her breath.

"We need to talk to someone. _Now._" Mako stressed.

The sudden streak of anger caught the man's attention. "I-I…Jiro can help you. He's downstairs in the morgue." He pointed to narrow flight of stairs that lead down a level.

"Thank you _so much_ for all your help," her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Mako grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her towards the dank staircase, "Lets go, come on."

The stairs spiraled downwards into an office. Unlike the rest of the building above, the facility was lit brightly with harsh fluorescent light. Two large windows looked out into the morgue proper, giving the detectives a clear view of the rows of covered bodies. Dr. Zhou moved through the rows clipboard in hand.

Korra knocked gently on the glass to catch the doctor's attention.

Slightly startled, the doctor caught view of the detectives and hurried over. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there," Zhou stepped into the office. "And…I'm still sorry about what happened at the scene the other day I—"

"Forget it," Mako waved him off. He knew he had been out of line earlier, and he was willing to forget the young medical examiner's transgression.

"Are you here about the Red Killer?"

Korra nodded, "We just need the files so we can continue our investigation."

"Would you mind if I showed you something first?" Zhou motioned towards the door. "I spent some time with the partial files, and I think I noticed something when I was going through the pictures."

"We'll take anything that helps," Mako encouraged him to continue, "What do you have for us?"

Zhou pulled out a stack of photos, each neatly labeled with the number and name of the victim. "This right here," he pointed to the photos.

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific," Korra furrowed her brow.

"These are all the pictures of the posterior stab wounds on all the victims," the medical examiner explained. "See this right here." He pointed to a fuzzy marking that appeared on each side of the wound. It looked almost like the makings of a shape, and appeared on a straight-line axis each side of the injury.

"What is that?" She pulled one of the photos close. "It's in all of these."

"Exactly," Zhou nodded. "Follow me."

The two detectives followed him through the door into the morgue. The heavy odor of formaldehyde caught Mako off guard. The appalling smell went straight to his gut, and made his stomach churn with disgust.

"This is Yumi Sh from the other day," the medical examiner pulled back the white sheet. The girl was naked facedown on the metal slab. "Notice this here," he pointed to the stab wound.

"Is that the same marking from the other victims?" Korra leaned over the table.

"That's what I think. It's bruising for sure. I think it's a mark from the guard of whatever knife was used."

The guard left the markings of a triangle on either side of the wound. Mako couldn't help but shake the Triple Threat Triad connection to all this; a triangle wasn't lessening his thoughts that the gang wasn't somehow tied up in this.

"That's not a typical thing," Mako crossed his arms. "You wouldn't just be able to get that at any store. It's probably custom."

"Whoever you killer is, he's been using that knife for each murder," Zhou led them out of the morgue and into the office. "But knowing that…there are a few murders that don't seem to fit with this new Red Killer fact. So by my opinion, there are a few victims you can disregard," he pushed a file towards Korra.

"So this victim didn't have the bruises from the knife guard, and these two where not even stabbed in the back but killed together by just a slit to the throat—" Korra froze.

Mako's heart sank.

"…Zhou I think we have everything we need," she changed the subject abruptly. "We'll be in touch."

The Red Killer didn't kill his parents; he didn't need Korra to tell him to know. She had to nudge up the stairs and back to the car as he practically dragged his feet the entire way. Years of what he thought he knew about his parents' death had been wound back in just a few seconds. After years of not knowing, snooping through the Red Killer files at least gave him a face to hate. Now…well things were just as unsolved as they were before.

"You put two and two together, didn't you?" Korra stopped him when they reached the hallway.

"Yeah…yeah I did."

"I'm sorry…" she pulled him into a hug.

Mako stiffened immediately in her embrace. Today was throwing him all sorts of curveballs. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her smaller form and accepted the comfort that was offered. The hug was short, and soon enough she pulled away. Some part of him wanted to pull her back in towards him.

"I know a lot of your motivation to work this case was finally solving your parents' case."

He nodded, "But it doesn't change how badly I want to catch this bastard. And we're one step closer with this knife lead."

"You've had a long day. Let's get back to the station. I'll get Tahno and his connections to dig up some leads on shops that might have this sort of thing, and that have Triple Threat connections," she lead him outside to her waiting car. "Unless something big comes up, we can wait to check out the list of places we get until tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" He slid into the passenger side.

"You've had a long week, and it's only Thursday."

Mako lips curled into a small smile, "You're full of surprises, you know that right?"

She shook her head in amusement, "Gotta keep you on your toes somehow. Oh, and that's not going to get you out of buying me dinner and booze during that damn date you're dragging me and Bolin on."

"It's hardly a date anymore though."

"No kidding. Good job, Cool Guy."

Now all he had to do was somehow survive dinner.

.

.

**Author Note:** Kind of a story-building chapter. Starting with the next one things really start to kick off. Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3400

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

.

.

**Chapter 9 – "Mack the Knife"**

"_You know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe_

_Scarlet billows start to spread_

_Fancy gloves, though wears old MacHeath, babe_

_So there's never, never a trace of red"_

.

Mako was usually the kind of guy who held himself to high expectations. After all, he didn't have the highest case closure rate of the Homicide Department through luck.

Tonight, however, was an exception. He was just hoping to get through this Friday night dinner alive.

The day was already horrible before Bolin and Asami showed up at the station, each expecting to get the one-on-one dinner that he promised them. Luckily pulling Korra into the meal was enough to appease Bolin, who was just looking to spend some time with him in any capacity. But Asami, on the other hand, was not thrilled with the whole situation. He had to think fast to diffuse her anger, and managed to promise a nice evening afterwards as consolation.

Somehow he managed to drag the unlikely crew to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, and leveraged Bolin's popularity to get them a semi-private table in the corner of the bustling restaurant.

"I mean come on!" Bolin finally paused his eating. "You live in a mansion! That's so cool!"

"Actually I don't," Asami shrugged. "It ended up feeling odd living on the estate on my own. So I bought a penthouse for myself. I keep the mansion for official Future Industries functions and such though."

Korra huffed, clearly not impressed by the showing of wealth. Mako could only hope that she wouldn't start a fight with Asami over it. He already made it very clear that acting pleasant for this dinner was a huge favor for him; he just needed her to stay true to her word.

"So you must be pretty busy with all the training," Asami took a sip of her gin and tonic.

"Oh yeah!" Bolin sputtered, his mouth half full of rice. "Well, my last bout was last week, which I won by the way. But I probably won't fight again for another month or two, so I get to take it easy."

"How did you get into boxing in the first place?" She asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Well," he finally took a second to swallow the half-chewed food in his mouth. "When Mako and I were on the streets—"

Mako kicked him in the shin under the table. Having to spill his guts about his childhood wasn't exactly what he had in mind for his second "date" with Asami, if he could even call it that. Fuck, he didn't even have the heart to tell Bolin that he wasn't on the case of their parents' killer. He was going to have to tell him eventually, but prolonging blissful ignorance wasn't such a bad thing to do.

Bolin shot him a dirty look before continuing. "I just got good at winning fights. So when I got old enough, I started boxing for real money."

"Wow," Asami leaned in. "I've done a bit of boxing training myself. Not a lot, but I'd love to drop by your gym when you're getting ready for your next match."

"Oh really?" Korra's voice dripped with sarcasm, but there was genuine surprise behind her words.

"Well it doesn't pay to be defenseless, whether in the boardroom or the gym."

"I can respect that," she shrugged.

Asami tapped her temple, "Being physically sharp means that I can be more mentally sharp. Getting a few rounds in with a trainer is a great way to let off some steam and clear my mind. You can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes."

"Maybe I had you pegged wrong," Korra took a swig of her beer.

"People have always assumed I was some sort of helpless princess," the businesswoman stirred her drink absentmindedly, "I think a lot of that perception went away after…you know…"

Korra looked downwards, away from the other woman's gaze.

Mako couldn't blame her. The relationship between the two women was riddled with mines. Neither was able to trust the other with the broken remnants of the Sato drug ring case tugging them down. But yet, there was another apprehension he could just barely sense in Korra towards Asami. He didn't know his new partner nearly well enough to pick out what it was. Part of him wanted to feel that it was jealousy, but no, that couldn't possibly be right.

Like she had any affection for him. Korra was just his partner. She wanted to protect, help, and heal him. Her actions that went above and beyond what partners were required and expected to do had to be her just being a great cop.

Asami took the bill from the waiter before anyone had a chance to protest. "This was nice. I really think we should do this again."

"For sure!" Bolin grinned. "I'm not forgetting that you wanted to drop by the gym and train a bit with me!"

"Not to worry," Asami handed the check to the waiter. "I'll give you a call and we will set something up." She gestured to Mako and Korra, "Maybe you two would like to join us?"

"Don't expect me to go easy on you," Korra flashed a cocky grin.

"Then you'd better expect the same."

Asami slid her hand up Mako thigh as she stood up from the table. "I hope to see you all soon." She slipped her hand into Mako's, as Bolin and Korra waved goodbye and headed off in different directions into the Republic City night.

Mako interlaced his fingers with hers. "I'm sorry about how tonight turned out—"

"Honestly, it was nice." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "A lot nicer than I expected."

"Well that's a relief," he laughed.

She pulled him into a quick kiss. "Would you like to come back to my penthouse tonight?" Her voice was sweet and seductive, pulling him further in with every word that rolled off her tongue.

"How could I possibly say no?"

They hailed a cab and rushed to her building. Although they could have walked, a sense of urgency flickered in the air between them. Asami overpaid the cab driver as they hurried out of the Satomobile and inside through the lobby. The two stumbled out of the elevator on to her private floor thoroughly disheveled, clothing falling off piece by piece as they struggled to make it to the master bedroom.

He needed this. He needed this_ badly_. Mako wanted everything but the present to fall away. He needed to forget the day and it's bad tidings, and surrender to something other than pain.

And surely, they did. Everything in the world but Asami washed away as she ran his hands over his bare skin. It felt good; good enough to let oblivion find him. Their lips met furiously, bodies melding together over and over again until neither had the energy to continue. He rolled off her and pulled the covers over each of their bare forms. She gave him another sweet kiss before rolling over in the silk sheets away from him to find sleep.

This was easy. It was a thought that he couldn't avoid. Their bodies, sticky with sweat from their coupling, lay separated. Mako let his eyes drift shut and hoped that he would wake up feeling rested.

.

.

"I see you bothered to stop home before coming in today," Korra smirked over her mug of coffee. "And what's this whole deal with me beating you into the station? You're slacking, Cool Guy."

Mako smoothed over the suit he threw on hurriedly during his quick morning pit stop to his apartment. "Oh shut up."

"I take it you had a great night with your girlfriend then."

The word "girlfriend" caught him off guard. He and Asami had really only been on one real date, but then again they had sex on two separate evenings. But they had not yet taken an opportunity to speak about what exactly they had going on between them.

"Yeah yeah, just go ahead and get it all out of your system," he dropped into a chair across the table from her.

"No, I'm done. Just glad you put on clean clothes today because we have a lot to do."

"What? Is clean clothing not normal for you?" Tahno leaned against the open door. "Maybe you're even…worse than I thought."

"Great to see you again," Mako deadpanned.

"Just give me what you've got and get out of here," Korra stood up, pulled the file from his grasp, and then dropped back into her seat.

Tahno grinned, "Well if you wanted _that_ detective—"

"Shut your trap, dirt bag," Mako rolled his eyes.

"Alright," Tahno ran his hand through his hair, and held his hands up in a sort of mock surrender. "I pulled all the shops that might make or sell something like this. It's probably custom though."

"Great," he glared at the dirty cop, hoping to drive him out.

"I think you owe me, Detective Korra," Tahno leaned on the table, looming over her. "I had to run through a lot of my…_contacts_ to get this sort of information for you."

"Get. Out." Mako snarled.

"Not even a thank you," Tahno vanished with a flourish into the busy station.

"How do you even stand that guy?" Mako sighed, glad to be alone again with Korra.

"He has his…uses," she flipped through the file she took without looking up.

"Uses?"

"Looks like we have a bunch of possible locations…more than I thought we would."

He pushed the file down from her face with one finger. "You didn't answer the question."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "Can we get back to things that actually matter?"

A thin grin spread over his lips. Finally, he had something that he might be able to hold over his annoying partner's head. After all the ribbing he had endured about Asami, he finally had a bit of ammo in his arsenal. Tahno was a weak spot. But today was not the day, so he mentally pocked the tidbit of information.

"Okay then," Mako slumped back. "Where do we need to go?"

"We've got a list here," she slid the paper to the middle of the table so they could both look over it. "They're pretty scattered…"

Mentally, he highlighted the areas that they had to visit. This was going to be an all day scavenger hunt throughout Republic City. They were going to have to go into every one of these shops, hope that whomever was working there at the time could even help them, and pray that the Triple Threats weren't going to be lurking around the corner.

"Why don't we start with the locations around here, migrate to the Financial District, and then cross over into Dragon Flats?" Korra stood up to look at the large map in the room.

Dragon Flats was the hotbed of Triple Threat Triad activity; he knew from personal experience. If the Triple Threats were connected somehow, their neighborhood was going to be the place.

.

.

"What's the next on the list?" Mako started up the engine on his Satomobile.

The search had taken them all day. Not all the locations had addresses, so they had to hunt down the storefronts through the poor instructions that Tahno relayed to them. The chase through the region around the station took them all the way until lunch, when they stopped at a quick café to keep their energy up. The even less organized search through the Financial District was also fruitless, and led them all the way until dinner. They decided to pick up a quick meal from a street vendor.

"Next one is in Dragon Flats," Korra read off the list. Now more than half of the locations crossed off. "It's a custom blade store."

Mako couldn't deny that he was getting frustrated. Every single time they ended up in a shop, they found nothing resembling the craftsmanship they were looking for. This knife was crucial for them to move forward on the Red Killer case; they just needed to find the linchpin.

He navigated through the dense, Financial District traffic. The streetlamps slowly flickered to life as darkness crept over the city. Neon signs began to brighten to advertise the nightlife inside, their bright colors inviting in those looking for some Saturday night fun.

"It should be the next street over. Why don't you pull over here and we can go up on foot?" Korra pointed to a vacant area.

The neighborhood was quiet, deserted even. Kids didn't exactly run around alone at night in Dragon Flats. The partners walked side by side down the street until the shop front appeared across the road. It looked just as run-down as the rest of the area, but the lights on inside told him that they still had a chance to catch someone before closing time. Bars covered the dusty windows, slightly obscuring the "we're open" sign that hung within. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, until a man in a dark coat just outside the door caught his eye.

Mako pulled Korra back behind the corner they had emerged from. "You see that guy at the door?"

She looked around the corner quickly. "I don't think he's just loitering around for fun."

"He's probably a Triple Threat. Great, we really don't want to be spotted going in there like this and—"

"Wait…" Korra held a hand up to stop him. He could almost see the gears in her mind turning behind her bright blue eyes. "I have an idea. But you might not like it."

"Well, it's all we've got." He had no clue what was going on in that head of hers.

She peeked around the corner once more, "Just follow my lead. Act really drunk. We're going to stumble over to the alley that's alongside the store. The goon will probably follow us. When he gets close, we make a move and knock him out."

Without protest, he slung his arm around her shoulder.

"You're gonna have to pull me closer if you want to make this convincing."

"Fine," he huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

They rounded the corner and shifted into character. Korra giggled very uncharacteristically as she clung to him. Together they stumbled across the street, fake drunken smiles plastered on. It seemed to be working too; the suspected Triple Threat member was looking in their direction as they approached.

"Oh Mako…" she tucked her head into his body. He had never heard her voice like this; there was a sultry undertone running underneath. He wouldn't have minded hearing her speak to him like that again.

"You had a good night, right doll?" He slurred semi-convincingly.

Together they tripped over the curb and passed towards the alley, the guard eying them suspiciously the whole way. Slowly, they rounded the corner, and leaned together against the brick alley wall. Mako watched the man step out into the alleyway behind Korra. Slowly, he pushed her jacket open and reached for her gun.

Suddenly, her hand covered his, just as his fingers brushed her shoulder holster within her coat. He was unable to mask his showing of confusion as his eyes met hers. This was the plan. Get him close, and then take care of him. What the hell was she doing?

Quickly, she grabbed him by the scarf and pulled him down for a kiss. Her mouth slid over his as he froze, panicked at this sudden development. This wasn't something that they were supposed to do, not in the slightest. But the seduction of the kiss pulled him under thread by thread. Mako cupped her face and pushed back into the kiss, pouring in a passion from within he didn't know existed. His eyes closed of their own accord as she pulled him deeper into the kiss. Part of him didn't want this moment to end.

Her lips jerked away from his as she pulled her gun from its holster. She spun and hit the man across the face with the hard metal side of the gun with a sickening crack.

"T-That was good…" Mako stuttered.

"I-I uhh, yeah." Despite the darkness, a blush crept up into her cheeks.

"Do you…uh, want to see if he's a Triple Threat?"

"Oh!" She quickly crouched and rolled the man's sleeve up, revealing the signature triangular tattoo. "Yeah, he's one of them alright." Korra dragged him to the side of the alley and propped him up so he looked more or less like a passed out drunkard.

The partners stood in awkward silence, suddenly aware of an odd electricity between them.

"You know that was just a distraction…right?" She rubbed the back of her neck.

"O-Of course. What else would it be?"

She chuckled nervously, "Let's just get this shop over with."

Quickly, they rounded the corner and opened the door to the shop. The store was small, and dust covered many of the countless knives up for display all over the ls. The blades ranged from tiny to sword-sized, many of them curved and serrated for purposes he could only imagine.

"Is someone there?" The voice came from the back of the store.

The partners slowly approached the counter. A bespectacled old man sat at a workbench, sharpening a knife with a worn leather strap.

"We were wondering if you could help us," Mako pulled out the sketch of the blade that Zhou drew.

"You're cops," the old man turned away from his work.

"Is that a problem?" Korra asked.

The craftsman looked around the store, "Did anyone see you come in?"

"We took care of the guard outside," she assured him.

"Alright," he held his hand open, and Mako passed him the sketch. "Yes, I remember making this…but it was a long time ago."

"Do you know who ordered it?" Mako could feel a sense of excitement rising up within him.

"I'm sure it's not a leap for you to know that he was a…Triple Threat," the old man whispered. "But I keep most of my custom orders in the back, so I can take a look later and let you know on Monday."

Mako slipped him a business card. "Please call us if you find anything."

"Of course…" the old man smiled sadly. "It's not great living under the Triple Threat's thumb. My name is Yi Seok by the way."

"We will be in touch," Korra smiled.

The two detectives shook Seok's hand and took their lead.

"Well, all of this could have gone a lot worse," Korra took the lead as they hurried to the car.

Yes, it could have gone worse. They now knew that the Triple Threats had to be involved, and they were on their way to getting a solid lead on the Red Killer and a name if they were extremely lucky. But the kiss still swirled in his mind. Was it really just a "distraction" in the sense that it lured the Triple Threat close enough? Mako knew for sure that it was a distraction from their relationship as partners. He couldn't help but remember fondly the feeling of her lips against his.

"Back to the station?" She flipped on the police scanner.

He could have sworn she was staring at his lips. Mako shook that thought from his mind and shifted into gear. It was a Saturday night, and all he wanted to do was fall into bed alone and take Sunday off. Slowly, he pulled into the front of the station.

"Reports of an 11-17 in Dragon Flats," the police radio crackled to life.

He tried to tune out the fire report from his mind.

"Roger that. 11-41, at least one inside," another voice chimed in.

"Did you catch the address?" Korra reached for the headset, and hastily plugged it in and pulled it over her ears. She kept silent, listing carefully to the static-ridden transmission. "Mako…the shop. It's been torched."

.

.

**Author Note:** Thank you all for waiting!


	10. Chapter 10

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3300

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

.

.

**Chapter 10 – "You Better Go Now"**

"_I want you so now  
You have lips I love to touch  
You better go now  
You better go, 'cause I like you much, too much"_

.

"Hang on!" Mako flipped the siren system on and pulled the car in a sharp U-turn in the middle of the street.

The other Satomobiles on the road screeched to a halt as the unmarked police car sped in the opposite direction. Traffic parted quickly out of their way as they rushed back to the Dragon Flats neighborhood.

Thoughts raced through Mako's head at a furious pace. Was this a coincidence? Did someone see them enter the shop? Were they really getting that close to the Red Killer? Aside from the questions, he couldn't help but think that they had created a major blunder by visiting that shop in the way that they did. He was just so preoccupied with moving forward on the case, he forgot to keep questioning everything to be sure that they made the right move.

"The timing just seems too good, doesn't it?" Mako shook his head.

"Look, usually I'm the one who jumps into things without thinking," the corner of her lips curled into a small smile. "We don't know anything yet. Let's get the facts we can then go from there."

Korra was right. They really had no clue what had happened, and they wouldn't until they got there.

"Almost there," he pulled the car around the final corner.

The street they had walked down just an hour ago was bathed in an orange flickering glow. Large flames burst through the low roof and cast dancing shadows across the street. Firefighters frantically sprayed the blaze with hoses from every angle possible, desperate to quell the flames. The fire was nothing short of an inferno that threatened to burn down the entire city block, and it was already clear to Mako that the building was gone; containment was the goal.

He pulled the car around, siren still blazing, as close as he could to the line of barriers that restrained the curious crowd.

Korra jumped out of the car first and didn't even pause to flash her badge at the line of uniformed cops. She vaulted one of the waist-high barriers and elbowed past the officers.

"She's with me," Mako flashed his badge and chased after his partner. "Get one of your guys on taking pictures of the crowd. Send all the developed shots to homicide."

"What happened here?" Korra approached the fire squad captain, denoted by the white helmet.

"The shop went up so fast it was mostly destroyed by the time we got here," the captain wiped his brow with his ash-covered jacket sleeve. "We're just trying to keep the whole block from burning down. The winds are on our side though, so it doesn't look like it'll jump over any streets or alleys and give us more trouble."

"Hey you!" Korra flagged down one of the cops from the barricade. "Find me the cop that has this patrol tonight…they've got to be nearby."

"Right away!" The cop ran to the barrier and began immediately speaking to the other officers present.

"Do you have any idea what started the fire?" Mako pulled the fire captain's attention back to him.

"No," he shook his head. "We'll need to finish putting the blaze out completely before I can get one of my fire marshals in there."

"The radio said that there was a person inside?" Korra coughed in the smoke filled air.

The captain shook his head, "We had that report from the original 911 call, but we haven't really been able to enter the shop yet. Hoping there wasn't…"

"This shop is a place of interest in an investigation," Mako pulled a business card from his jacket. "When you get the fire marshal's results, give the department a call on this line and extension."

"Of course."

There was no reason to give the firefighters any fodder to spread to the press. The last thing they needed was to have reporters all over them that the Red Killer case wasn't going as well as anyone had hoped. Luckily, another building fire in the Dragon Flats district wasn't going to be a front-page story in a rush afternoon edition of the Republic City Post, or even warrant a news bulletin that interrupted normal radio programming.

"You were looking for the cop on this patrol tonight?" A young man approached the gathering.

"Why? Are you him," Mako took a good look at the cop.

The officer was young, his face unwrinkled by time. There was brightness in his eyes you only saw in the newest crop of cops before their experiences on the streets had a chance to sully their youthful enthusiasm for law enforcement.

"Yes sir. My name is Cheng Zan."

"What can you tell me about this shop?" Mako asked.

"Well…" Zan scratched the back of his neck. "I've been on this beat for about two months, and everyone knows this is Triple Threat Triad territory. I know that the shop was late on protection payment and a small group of gang guys has been roughing up the owner every day."

Mako wished they had known this fact earlier. Perhaps if they had known that the shop was in hot water, they could have done more to give him some _actual_ protection while he searched his records. Well, any receipt of that custom knife being made was ash by now with no chance of recovery.

"I mean they probably just burned the place down since they didn't pay up right?" Zan shrugged. "Case closed there."

Korra clapped the young cop on the back hard enough that he winced. "If you want to be a beat cop for the rest of your career, keep thinking like that." She turned her attention back to Mako. "We need to talk."

Mako led Korra back to the car so they wouldn't be overheard. The Red Killer connection to the shop wasn't known, and he didn't plan on that changing. The threads joining the gang to the Red Killer seemed unavoidable now, and Mako couldn't say that he was pleased about it.

"We need to look into the Triple Threat Triad," Korra turned towards him, her face half illuminated by streetlight. "And I'm not stupid, I know it makes you uncomfortable. I need to know why, because if I'm working with a dirty cop I'm going to cuff you and drag you back to central right here and now."

He gritted his teeth. "Oh, you want to know?" Anger bubbled into his voice. "Because I'm not a dirty cop. Never have been, never will."

"Then what the fuck is your hang up with this gang?"

He clenched his fists in his lap. His connection with the Triple Threats wasn't exactly something he was proud of. In fact, it was something that he tried to bury within him as deeply as he possibly could. Experiences aren't something that you can just shed off with time; they stay and mark everything that occurs after. And those marks don't fade no matter how hard you try to burn it away.

Mako wrenched his left sleeve up over the elbow. "This is why I don't want to fucking touch the Triple Threats."

What remained of a Triple Threat Triad membership tattoo was seared onto the inside of his right arm. The black inked triangle with a "T" in the center was obscured by mottled flesh, twisted and burned on the surface.

"You know that Bolin and I lost our parents at a young age…" he could see the shock in her eyes. "We had no one to take us in, so we lived on the streets. And once we got sick of starving, I joined the Triple Threats, and Bolin ran side jobs off the record. Then…we got older and we got real jobs. But I think you know that quitting a gang isn't really easy. So I tried to burn the mark off the best I could so I could get out."

"Hey, look at me," Korra put a hand on his shoulder. "It's in the past."

"I've avoided the damn Triple Threats the best I could…but they always say 'once a Triple Threat always a Triple Threat,' and I guess that's true for me too."

Her open hand slapped him across the face with a resounding smack.

"What the fuck was that for?"

"You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself," she pulled him by the shirt so he had no choice but to look at her. Their faces were inches apart, just as they had been during encounter in the alley earlier in the evening. "Get your mind back in gear. We need to figure out our next move."

Suddenly, she seemed to notice the closeness just as he had. Her lips parted for a slight second before she shoved him back into his seat.

"Do you always have to be so rough?" He winced with a smile.

"Oh you know…it's how I do things," she winked.

Korra was right. He was letting his personal issues get in the way of their investigation. Avoiding his history wasn't helping him in anyway. Confrontation in his personal life was never something her particularly excelled at or enjoyed. Most of the time he got by well enough by avoiding the problem and letting it fade away with time. Clearly though, that wasn't the best method to get better.

"I think we need to talk to the Triple Threats."

"Okay, whoa," she sat back in her seat. "I wasn't expecting you to be _that_ direct."

"I know a place down by the waterfront."

"Well then lead the way, City Boy."

.

.

"It always seemed so peaceful here at night," Korra stuffed her hands in her pockets as they walked along the waterfront.

The area was made up of mostly warehouses for shipping companies, with a few industrial operations here and there. The inactivity of the night translated to an eerie silence that was unsettling and off putting.

"You think so?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "You never get real quiet here in the city. This comes pretty close I think. I'm not a city native like you."

"So it's quieter then? Down south I mean."

A genuine smile spread over her face. "It's nice. You can hear all your thoughts without a Satomobile horn butting in."

He laughted in understanding, "The den is just around the corner."

The waterfront hideout wasn't the main headquarters by any stretch of the imagination. It was mostly a small operations den that handled illegal smuggling operations. But due to the location, many of the higher-ups frequented the hideout when they weren't drinking away at one of the many Triple Threat bars.

Mako led her into the short alleyway. A metal door stood at the end.

"Just stay behind me okay?" He pulled his collar up. "If things get bad…"

"Then I stick by you." She nodded in reaction to the expression of shock on his face. "Well it wouldn't be the worst decision I've made today."

He froze, only imagining what she could be referring too. Did she regret that kiss they shared? Wait, that wasn't what he needed to be worried about.

"We're just here to take the temperature of the situation," Mako raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Fine by me."

His knuckles rapped heavily on the thick door.

With a screech, a slit at eye level slid to the side to reveal a face half shrouded in shadows.

"Well lookie who it is." The voice came from inside. "Go grab Viper, he's going to want to see this." The eye slit slammed shut.

"Viper?" Korra checked her shoulder-holstered gun.

"He's the second in command of the Triple Threats."

Back when Mako joined, Viper was just a normal street thug. But through operations and his penchant for making big narcotic sales, he slowly crawled his way up the pathetic ladder.

The door opened outward so quickly that Mako and Korra flinched and instinctively reached for their guns.

"Well…you weren't lying," Viper strode out.

His dark gray coat blended into his tanned skin in the dark, his face mostly shadowed by the wide-brim fedora he wore. A gold chain and charm shone even in the lack of light. Two Triple Threat guards flanked him.

"Viper," Mako held his ground.

"You know, you usually don't come down here to get…a bit of extra cash," the Triple Threat grinned. "But I wouldn't mind having a homicide detective on my take. Would probably prove real helpful now that I think about it."

"That's not why I'm here," Mako snarled.

"Really? I can't imagine why else you'd come crawling back," Viper took a few steps forward. "Oh, and you brought a friend too. Vice Detective Korra, we haven't met."

"Didn't know you knew my name," Korra pulled a cigarette out cockily. "Guess my reputation precedes me."

"You'd bet it does," Viper gritted his teeth. "Now what's stopping me from shooting you two full of holes."

Mako pulled his hand out of his pockets in a showing of goodwill. "You know what we're here about."

"Hmmm…" a sinister grin spread over the gangster's face. "Really can't say I do. I'm not exactly privy to police knowledge or anything like that."

"He knows. I just know it," Mako said through his teeth, just loud enough so Korra could hear.

"Mako," her hand grabbed his shoulder. "Do you really think he would give anything up?"

He kept his eyes trained on Viper. "No. You're right. Let's get out of here."

"Leave so soon then?" Viper shrugged. "Don't forget son, you're always a Triple Threat. You know where to find us if you need something. And we know where to find you. Don't forget that."

Korra pulled him back by the sleeve, and the two backed out of the alley and turned the corner before turning their backs.

"Why did we even do that?" Mako clenched his fists and violently kicked at a can as they walked back to the car.

The whole incident left him absolutely furious. They had wasted their time to come all the way out here in the dark, for nothing but a meaningless confrontation. Anger crawled through his veins and prickled over his skin; he was itching for action, for a release from it all.

"We went because you needed it," Korra spoke, momentarily diffusing the haze of rage clouding his vision. "You never really confronted that part of your past before, and it needed to be done. Now take a deep breath and control yourself."

Mako huffed before taking her advice grudgingly. "I hate it when you're right."

"Sorry you've got such a big ego to bruise," she ribbed him gently with an elbow. "This wasn't completely pointless though. You're right, that Viper dirt bag knows something."

"I dunno," he rubbed the back of his neck restlessly. "I think we pretty much made only bad decisions tonight."

"I can think of one that didn't go so badly."

"Oh really?" He searched her eyes for what she meant.

"Yeah, this one I'm about to make," she grinned. "Let's get a drink and call it a day. I know a good bar—"

"Let's just go back to my place. I've got plenty of booze."

.

.

Eventually the pair lost count of how many shots of the cheap whiskey they each had. A few overturned shot glasses littered the low coffee table as they lounged on the living room couch. Bolin was evidently out for the evening, probably out with another doll he barely knew.

But who was Mako to judge his brother, especially tonight. Most of the time when Mako drank, he just savored the taste and sipped at the glass in front of him to keep engaged with the social happenings around him. Tonight however, he wanted to be drunk. He wanted to feel all the pain dry up. He wanted to feel the happy numbness take over his limbs and fog his mind so he couldn't think straight even if he wanted to.

Alcohol was a poor escape, but aside from good company, it was all he had in the present. They had dropped their shoes, jackets, and hats at the door, and went straight to shots of the bitter liquid. At some point Korra flicked on the radio letting the sweet hum of jazz ballads filled the room. They laughed for no reason, content to enjoy the evening.

The booze loosened his collar and his tongue. "So, that 'distraction' you did tonight. You kissed me."

Korra laughed and poured them each another shot. "One more s-s-s-shot."

Each kicked back the glass and swallowed.

"You didn't a-a-answer the question," he laughed as he slammed the small glass back down to the table.

"Y-y-yeah, and you kissed me back and I know I'm a real good kisser anyway."

"Oh really?" All the warning signs that should have been blaring in his head were turned off by his drunkenness. "Prove it," he tried to sound as sober as possible.

"Fine!"

She clumsily grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a sloppy kiss. In his inebriated state, he lacked all balance and coordination, and he slumped over on top of her on the couch. Before he knew what he was doing, his fingers were clumsily undoing the buttons on her dark blue button-down and his hands slipped inside to feel her soft skin against his…he didn't think that she would be so soft.

Korra let out a moan when his hands finally slid up to cup her breasts. Her fingers tangled in his hair and pulled him to her, their tongues sloppily colliding. He kissed down her neck as deftly as possible until he reached her collarbone.

"Hey Mako I'm home I—"

Bolin's voice barely registered in his head.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" Bolin dropped the bag of groceries to the floor.

"I-I-I uhh," Mako planted a foot on the floor and rolled off to the ground. His head smacked on the edge off the coffee table, and tipped over the thankfully closed, quarter-filled bottle of whiskey.

"You're dating Asami!"

"I dun even know if-f-f-f we're exclusive or anythin'."

Bolin rolled his eyes and stepped over Mako on the ground. The boxer buttoned up Korra's shirt before helping her to her feet.

"B-Bathroom," she croaked.

Bolin released his hold and let her stumble into the bathroom. The sound of throwing up echoed out of the small room.

"Holy shit, you two can barely stand. Holy fuck Mako, you two are so drunk you barely know what you're doing. Even if you weren't with Asami, you can do this with your partner, you'll get reassigned, or worse…"

"I-I—"

"Just shut up," his brother crossed his arms. "Sleep on the floor tonight for all I care. I'm going to get Korra home."

Mako let his head loll back against the hard floor. The next thing he saw was black.

.

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**Author Note:** It's safe to say that this is a rough halfway point chapter wise for this fic. But that's not set in stone either as some chapters, (like this one was originally two chapters), are being consolidated as I work from my outline. Thank you for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rating:** M (language, violence, sex)

**Chapter Word Count:** ~3200

**Summary:** Mako is already a well-experienced homicide detective in Republic City when Beifong reluctantly assigns him to take over the case of the "Red Killer," the serial murderer that likely was responsible for the death of his parents. Little does he know that the Beifong's reassignment of Vice Detective Korra as his new partner will change things in ways he never anticipated. Noir AU

**Author Note:** Thanks for waiting. The confluence of midterms, spring break, and getting to see my boyfriend was sufficiently distracting.

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**Chapter 11 – "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"**

"_But oh, if we call the whole thing off_

_Then we must part_

_And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart"_

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"We need to talk."

In Mako's experience, nothing good ever came from conversations that started with those four words.

There was that time that he pulled Bolin aside with those same words when he started buying up and using drugs from his Triple Threat "friends," and was becoming a teenager with needle marks up and down his arms and an overly pale complexion. Viper used the same four words on him when he fucked up running muscle when they were extorting a business. That screw up earned him a knee to the liver as he slumped to the ground in excruciating pain that took weeks to dull. Of course he'd never forget the "we need to talk" conversation from the pair of cops that knocked on his family's apartment door after the death of his parents.

So it was safe to say he had a reason or three to be apprehensive. He stared down into the mug of black coffee in front of him; suddenly enamored by the deepness of the color over the surrounding quiet neighborhood café he met Korra at. The only matter on the agenda was of course just a much-needed afternoon chat on the topic of the previous evening's transgressions.

Around noon, when they had both come around from sleep with severe hangovers, they thought that this Sunday was a good day to take off and rest of the case to recharge. By mutual agreement, they decided to meet in order to take care of what happened between them before Monday.

"So…" Korra broke the silence between them. She took a small sip of her cooling coffee.

"Yeah…"

He just didn't know how to start. He couldn't count the number of one-night stand he had over the years, but he only had one relationship that was remotely serious. Oh Lei…she was nice enough, but she had a body to die for from her pretty face, to her slim hips, and her fucking gorgeous ass. Come to think of it, there hadn't been connections outside the physical kind between them. It was exactly what he needed in that time and she satisfied him immensely.

But what did he want now? Was "physical" enough with Asami? And where did Korra fit into this whole picture?

"Well we can't dodge this the whole time," Korra placed her mug back on the small table and folded her hands in front of her. "We almost went past where we should have. And that was a mistake."

"Agreed," Mako nodded. "We were way too drunk last night."

"You'll have to thank Bolin for me then," a small smile graced her lips. "Both for stopping us and getting me home."

"Yeah, well I didn't raise him to be a good for nothing."

They shared a brief laugh. He was just so utterly relieved that this meeting was going well. Countless scenarios had run though this head, each one more awkward than the last. Korra was his partner, and that's all he needed her to be. Together, they needed to work and catch the Red Killer before he could do more damage that he already had.

Yet, he couldn't shake the "rightness" he felt in the time he spent with Korra. The kiss they shared, although brief, made him feel alive in a way that he only thought happened in novels and radio dramas. But he had to shake this feeling off. There were fraternization rules that they needed to adhere to.

"You'll tell Asami what happened, right?" Korra stirred her coffee. "I feel pretty bad about that part…"

Mako felt his body tense, and he took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm going to have to. You know, I was being serious last night when I said that I really didn't know where I am with my relationship with her."

She nodded in understanding, "Yeah I've been there."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. There was this one guy back home who was interested in more than I was up to give. I didn't find out we had different ideas of where we were going until he was on one knee with a ring."

He couldn't help but to laugh along with her.

"I'll tell her," Mako looked her in the eye. "I'll do it tonight."

Korra let loose a sigh of relief. "We really don't want that hanging over our heads."

She was right. He hated when she was right. The last thing he needed was a lie like this eclipsing the more important matters in his life. In a way, it was no different than completing a case; loose ends didn't help anyone with anything.

"Well…that's it isn't it?" he sat back in his chair.

"I guess that wasn't so bad then."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You got it, City Boy."

.

.

If the rest of his week went as smoothly as his day already had, they would have the Red Killer in cuffs by the end of Tuesday. But of course, knowing that life rarely goes so well for too long, Mako was content to ride the wave of luck as far as it would take him.

It reminded of him when Bolin still thought people won in gambling. Mako never minded hitting up a joint to play a round or two of craps, but he never bet more than he was okay to lose (which was never more than twenty yuans or so). When started winning, and was primed to walk away with more than he brought in, he did so gladly and got an extra drink at the bar on his way out. And when he lost, he never went over the allotted spending money he allowed himself, and left knowing he got to blow off a bit of steam with each roll of the dice.

Bolin, on the other hand, seemed to have a hole burned through his wallet. Once he started winning, an incontrollable sense of invincibility would overtake him until he gambled away every single last cent. Luckily though, his younger brother learned a bit of control when the boxer managed to bet away over two months of his share of the rent. Mako refused to pay the full share, and Bolin had to take up open shifts at the power plant shoveling coal to make up for the lost cash. It was a mistake he never made again.

Part of him thought there was no way in hell that the dinner date he setup with Asami would go as smoothly as the morning conversation with Korra went. No amount of charm could overtake almost cheating, well, at least where most women were concerned. He remembered some of the "girlfriends" of some of the Triple Threat members were cheated on time and time again, yet still dragged themselves back for another helping of the same. Mako understood it though. At some point, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. And he spent most of his life staying away from the devil in the shadows he wasn't familiar with.

Mako had arranged to meet Asami at a small neighborhood joint. The restaurant was homey and served up big portions of cuisine at a cheap price. Perfect for a guy on a tier one detective's salary.

The date was set for seven, but yet he found himself at a table for thirty minutes early. He nervously bounced his leg up and down under the small table and downed the gin and tonic he ordered at record speed. Mako never found alcohol to be the "liquid courage" Bolin claimed it to be. But with the upcoming conversation looming, he decided to take no chances and give his brother's belief another try.

"You're early."

He flinched slightly in surprise as Asami placed a kiss on his cheek and slid into the empty seat opposite of him.

"I could say the same to you," he tried to flirt and ignore the nervous churning of his stomach.

"Well, I see you've already gotten started," she winked, eyeing his empty glass.

"Just passing time," Mako said a bit too quickly.

"Fair enough," she expertly flagged a server down with a glance and a single finger.

The waiter quickly brought them a pair of paper menus and took Asami's order for a glass of red wine. They looked over the selection of food in silence, and ordered when the waiter came by with Asami's drink.

Mako wrestled with what to do next. Should he tell her now? Up front so she could leave if she decided to hate him and never date him again?

"We need to talk," Asami's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

His heart shot into his throat at the sound of those four words. Did she know? Did Bolin run his mouth and say something about it?

"I uhh, sure," he managed a smile.

"It's about Future Industries."

His shoulders noticeably relaxed as the anxiety ebbed from his body. "What's going on?"

She swirled her glass, "I don't even know why I'm coming to you for this, but I hoped you could help."

He waited for her to continue.

"Remember the whole 'Future Industries is a drug front' fiasco?"

Mako sighed, thinking of Korra's involvement with the matter. "How could I forget?"

"Well I need help," Asami took a look around the restaurant. "I think the Triple Threats are still tangled up in Future Industries. I was hoping that you and Korra could take a look into for me, off the record."

"I'd have to talk it over with Korra…the Red Killer is taking up all our time."

"Oh…right…" she looked utterly crestfallen.

He hated to disappoint people. He hated not reaching expectations set for him. Usually if Mako could avoid doing that he at least wasn't failing by any measure in his own eyes.

"Hey, why don't Korra and I drop by your office tomorrow and we can talk it out, the three of us."

Immediately her face brightened up. "That would be great!"

The rest of the dinner went smoothly. It was an average date in the end. They idly chatted about the newest movies to grace the theaters and the weather. A bit of politics for the upcoming election of course couldn't be avoided. Yet, the unspoken truth he had promised to Korra that he would tell still weighed down on him and kept his jaw locked tight whenever he thought to say it. He vehemently refused her offer to pay for even her share of dinner as guilt weighed down on him.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Asami leaned into them as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Yeah uh I'm kind of busy…"

"Alright then," she pulled him down into a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

In what seemed like slow motion, he watched her turn away. He couldn't take it anymore. The pressure inside him had built to a tipping point. Mako felt as if he was bursting at the seams.

"Wait." He reached out and grabbed her gently on the arm.

She turned into his grasp, confusion evident on her face.

"I need to tell you that last night after I got off work I got really drunk with Korra and we kissed and we almost slept together and I'm really sorry…" the words spilled out of his mouth.

"Oh…" Asami seemed to process his words carefully.

"Look," he wanted to be as earnest as possible. "I don't know if we've agreed to see only each other…but I think I'd like to. I mean…if you can forgive me."

"I guess we really didn't talk much between dates and heading back to my place, did we?" A small smile appeared on her lips, a knowing glint in her eye.

"No…no we didn't…"

"We can make this work," she pulled him in for a sweet kiss.

"Wait…" he couldn't help but be confused. "Y-You mean you aren't angry with me? You aren't going to break up with me and never want to see me again?"

"You were drunk. We weren't really 'dating,' and it seems like a one off thing. Not to mention that I really like you. You don't have any feelings for her, do you?"

"No I don't think so," Mako smiled confidently to try to solidify his words into a full feeling.

If he had been truly honest to himself, he would have to say that he wasn't sure.

.

.

"Judging by that grin I'm guessing it went well," Korra looked up from her newspaper, her feet propped up on the table.

"Mmmhmmm!" He dropped into the chair opposite of her. "Couldn't have asked for any better actually!"

"Great." Her voice was flat and emotionless.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, except for the fact that we still have a serial killer to catch."

Mako couldn't get an accurate read on her. Obviously she was unsettled in some fashion, but he had no clue as to the cause. Guessing, and guessing wrong, would probably only upset her further, which he of course wanted to avoid.

"Well, grab your coat and hat," he stood up. "We have a meeting with Asami at Future Industries."

"_We_ do, eh?" Korra quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly and made no move to leave her seat.

"Yes we do. It's about police work, your favorite."

She huffed dramatically and pulled her trench coat on. "Let's get going then."

Mako made a mental note as they walked down the hall together that she was most certainly in a bad mood. The last thing he wanted to do was draw her ire, but he did enjoy that she wasn't keen on bringing up their drunken evening. He already knew that Korra was going to say no to helping Future Industries on the side, but he at least had to humor Asami if she wasn't willing to go through the inefficient official channels.

"Hey you," Tahno leaned out the door to the Vice Department. He tossed a familiar gray hat into Korra's hands. "You forgot this."

She definitely didn't have the hat when they left the conference room.

"I uhh…thanks," Korra quickly placed the fedora on her head and walked on.

Mako looked over his shoulder as they left, only to receive a smirk and a wink from Tahno.

"What was that about?" Mako pressed as they pulled out of the station's parking lot.

"It was nothing," she spoke too quickly to be telling the truth. "I just forgot my hat."

"You forgot your hat…with Tahno…"

"Yeah. I don't see how that's so impossible."

He remembered that Korra had mentioned that Tahno had "uses," and admittedly now his mind was wandering further to what those uses were. Accidentally leaving an article of clothing after an…encounter wasn't out of the question. But fuck, Korra seemed to hate Tahno, so that couldn't possibly be right.

"It's none of your business," Korra finally spoke again as they exited his car at the roundabout of the Future Industries building.

Mako chose not to press her as they took the elevator up to Asami's floor. Silently, he hoped that this meeting was going to be as cordial and easy as he had in his mind. The real issue at hand, as usual for this case, was the Triple Threat Triads. The gang was becoming the dominant faction in the underworld, throwing its weight around and extending its grasp. If the Triple Threats really could survive the investigation spearheaded by Korra, then they were really more powerful than anyone thought.

Well, that was at least if Korra really pressed the case to its fullest and wasn't on the take. That couldn't be possible, right? Unfortunately, if there was anything he learned living in Republic City, it was that trustful and honest people were scarce.

The doors to the elevator opened, and Asami's personal assistant ushered them quickly into the office, all the while reminding them that the CEO of Future Industries was perpetually busy.

The meeting went as expected. Korra agreed with him, and declined the off-the-record work. Her mood fouled when she realized that he had dragged her all the way across the city to say no to a question all three of them already knew the answer to. Asami of course understood, and thanked Korra politely. Mako could have sworn there was an air of coldness in the businesswoman's dealings with his partner.

"Look I'm sorry," Mako followed Korra down the stairwell, too impatient to wait for the elevator.

"Waste of valuable time, thanks a lot," she spat. "Just because she's your girlfriend, doesn't mean you get to pull me into this."

"Fuck…Korra…"

"Going to take a leak," she pushed out of the stairwell on to the main floor area, filled will offices. "Just wait here until I get back."

Mako had no choice but to sigh and let her go. There was no stopping Korra. Fuck, he should have just said no to Asami when she asked him during the date. But the last thing he wanted to do at the time was to pile on more bad news to the already undesirable news he had to deliver. Maybe he could convince Korra that looking into Future Industries would be beneficial…if the Triple Threat Triads were involved, that was enough of a connection. Right?

He already got the feeling that Asami was beginning to feel more negatively towards Korra than she already did.

Korra tapped him on the shoulder, appearing suddenly and slightly breathless from her quick bathroom trip.

"What's got you breathing heavy?" He asked, mindful of the volume of his voice around the cubicles of Future Industries workers.

She pulled him by the scarf into the stairwell, which she checked up and down before going up on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear. "I think we need to talk to Asami again."

"Why?"

"I overheard a conversation on the way through…I think Asami is right about the Triple Threats still being around. And I heard them mention 'The Killer.' I think we've got our connection."

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**Author Note:** Thank you all for waiting. Comments, reviews, and shares are appreciated as always.


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